EES challenges health partners to embrace accountability
Eastern Equatoria State Minister of Health, Lodai Paschalino Romeo, on Wednesday, challenged the Implementing Partners (IPs) and other health-related units to be accountable in their activities.
Lodai said some health implementing partners had not been sharing their work plans with the county health departments (CHD).
He made the statement during the conclusion of the Emergency Program on Immunisation (EPI) review meeting held in Torit on Wednesday.
Lodai reiterated that accountable management of resources would ensure effective implementation of activities across all health sectors in the state.
“The planning of 2022-2024 for the HPF budget should be known by the CHD and the CHDs should prioritise some of the key activities.”
“If you look at the old template of HPF One and compare it with the current information that is used by the IPs to present it to you, I request each of you to be transparent.
“It is time for us to see how we can improve the accountability aspect,” said Lodai.
The minister expressed worries that the launch of the next phase of the Health Pooled Fund (HPF) could be delayed if no joint plan is made.
“I am requesting all the IPs that are working with CHDs that are supported by HPF to start from tomorrow (Thursday) planning on how you will utilise the budget for this time that has been allocated by HPF.
“If we are not going to receive a plan from the county health department, which includes all of you seated to the Ministry of Health, Directorate of Primary Health Care, I said that we will delay the launching,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Amin Gordiano Okwahi, HPF Project Coordinator in Eastern Equatoria State, blamed some IPs over the question of transparency regarding the funding.
He urged them to make the CHD budget known to the CHD Director.
“There is the issue of transparency. Some of the IPs are still having the problem. They are not transparent to the CHD directors in terms of their funding.” The budget for the CHD must be clear to the CHD Director, and they must know all the budget lines one by one, “Dr. Amin said.
For his part, United Nations Children’s Fund Agency (UNICEF) Social and Behaviour Change Officer, Aping Kuluel, called for proper use of the resources to achieve the objectives of the health programs.
He reiterated their commitment to supporting the health sector in the state whenever they have the resources.
“Whatever little resources that we have, we need to make use of them. That is why you see a lot of scale down is happening and a lot of intervention is also getting scaled-down. So, let’s use the level of professionalism that we have to benefit the program. UNICEF will always be present to support whenever there are resources, “said Kuluel.
