I Was Never Briefed by Technical Officials at the Ministry : Dr. Ruth Aceng

Outgoing Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng has urged the Ministry of Health’s technical leadership to strengthen communication and support for newly appointed ministers, emphasizing the importance of regular briefings to ensure effective leadership in the sector.

Speaking during the handover ceremony to the newly appointed Minister of Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, in Kampala, Aceng reflected on challenges she faced during her tenure, particularly the lack of routine briefings from ministry officials.

“One thing I completely lacked was being briefed,” Aceng said. “Monday is Cabinet day, so ministers are often occupied. Brief your ministers every Tuesday on what is taking place in the health sector. It is a priority performance area for the Permanent Secretary, yet I was never regularly briefed.”

Aceng noted that she had to learn many aspects of the health sector through personal effort and experience rather than through structured updates from technical teams.

“I learned the health sector through hard work,” she said. “The ministers need to be informed about what is happening in the sector. I was fortunate because I had worked in the health sector throughout my career and could find my way around.”

She also cautioned ministry officials against scheduling important meetings on Mondays when ministers are attending Cabinet sessions, saying such arrangements often leave political leaders uninformed about key developments.

“On Mondays, when your ministers are in Cabinet, restrain from holding meetings where ministers miss out. They need to be informed about the health sector,” she added.

Aceng emphasized that the newly appointed Minister of Health and the Minister of State for Primary Health Care are both new to their current roles and require adequate support from the ministry’s technical staff to fully understand and effectively manage the sector.

“The new people are new in this place and need to be supported,” she said. “The brief I have given them is important, but they need time to internalize it so that they become fully conversant with the sector.”

She called upon the ministry’s Director General of Health Services and other technical officers to dedicate time to guiding and briefing the new ministers as they assume office.

Aceng’s remarks highlighted the critical role of communication and collaboration between political leaders and technical personnel in ensuring the effective delivery of health services and the successful implementation of government health programs.

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