Government bans all health-related workshops in hotels

The ministry, in a bid to prevent resource, wastage, is banning meetings held in hotels.

The Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwiine confirmed on Monday, that they will soon issue a circular banning such meetings at all levels in the health sector.

“We don't need them anymore. In the ministry we are going to write a circular and also write to our (development) partners,” she said.

“You have to get permission from the ministry to justify that this meeting has to take place in a hotel.”

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Atwiine says the Ministry of Health is trying to tighten its expenditure in order to improve health services, and that such meetings not only affect the ministry’s budget but also the time for health workers to focus on their duties.

Going forward, she says, all important meetings must be held virtually or at the health facilities.

“We have to start being more efficient, why are we blowing out resources in workshops when most of the things to learn about are in hospitals,” said the PS.

“Even when we are talking about policies and strategies, none of that needs a workshop. We just need to sit in a boardroom, and go on Zoom so that even those in the United States and elsewhere are able to attend.”

The Ministry of Health according to Atwiine has already tried this out but holding weekly meetings on involving stakeholders in maternal health in the country.

“We have over 300 people attending every week and we have presentations and papers on Zoom. We can not continue wasting time and money in hotels,” she added.