By Sheron Tita
The Ministry of Public Health has transferred Health Resources to Local authorities in the South West Region. This was during a workshop held in Buea, on Thursday October 3rd , 2024, chaired by the Governor of the Southwest Region.
Speaking at the workshop, Okalia urged the local authorities to make adequate use of the transferred health resources placed at their disposal.
“Local authorities are destined to properly use those transferred resources for a visible improvement in the provision of health services for the benefit of the local population”, he said.
The local authorities are responsible for equipping and rehabilitation of Health facilities, managing input supplies amongst others in close collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health. Local authorities face some challenges which hinder the implementation of the transferred Health resources in their various municipalities.
Barrister Prince Esembe Moses Esembe, Mayor of Kumba One Sub-divisional Council, for his part, outlined some of the challenges faced by local authorities with the most prominent being the lack of mastery of the framework of transfer of competences and resources from the Ministry of Public Health amongst others.
“ One of the challenges we face is mastering the effective management of the hospitals especially knowing the role that you as a municipal authority have to play in the functioning of the hospitals. The clearcut competences transferred with regards to the obligations of the Mayors are clear but most of them are on the responsibility of the Mayor having to improve on the infrastructure of hospitals, supply medical equipment, improve the Hygiene and Sanitation of hospitals but when it comes to defining the specific roles the mayor has to play in the management of the hospitals there is a lot of cloud in that. I think personally as a mayor that has been a major challenge”, he said.
The Mayor of Tiko, HRM Peter Ikome Mesoso, called on the Government to make some amendments in the competences transferred to councils in the domain of payment of casual health workers after six months.
“I will hold that the aspect of Finances that are disbursed to councils to take care of the casual workers in the health sector be addressed. It is good no doubt but the practice is not the best. It’s not the best reason that we get casual workers for the health sector they work for about six months before they are paid.
The aspect where I said it’s not good is that it is difficult for somebody to put in six months before he is being paid ; somebody who has kids, pays house rent. If that side is readjusted it can change the living conditions of the workers in the health sector”, he appealed for the competences to be adjusted.
Dr. Ebongo Zacheus, Director of Family Health in the Ministry of Public Health, in the course of the workshop promised the deployment of workers to all the 32 councils in the South West Region to work closely with municipal authorities, in carrying out their duties.
