Private health practioners calls for a stronger Public Private Partnership to strengthen TB fight.
Private Sector health organizations and Government introduced a partnership mix to work together to end TB in Uganda.
Drake Nyamugabwa
Due to continued cost of treatment for Tuberculosis, diminishing trust and the luck of adequate knowledge on new development in managing Tuberculosis handling in privates health centers, the Private health practioners has called for a stronger partnership with government to support Tuberculosis treatment in private health centers.
The Private practioners have according to Dr Busulwa Paddy, TheTechnical Advisor with Stop TB Partnership, said that though the private health sub-sector has potential to deliver quality treatment for Tuberculosis, they face many challenges in offering TB treatment services which he said can be solved if government team up with private health center through support in form of retaining government officials in private health centers, supply of medicines among other initiatives.
“We need to talk with government as private sector health practioners to discuss ways on how we can improve to support TB treatment service delivery especially on resources, medical supplies, policy issues” he said.
On the sidelines of a meeting between government officials, district health officers and private sector health practioners held at hotel Africana in Kampala, Dr Paddy said that have potential to deliver TB treatment services however they are faced with the challenge of lack of updates on new developments in the management of TB cases, continuous supervision.
The General Secretary, The Society of Uganda Private Medical Practitioners, Isbail Jauhar Kisambira said in order to improve the service delivery of TB patients, there is need to improve supplies, knowledge capacity, communication guidelines to improve the relationship between government and private health sub-sector in delivering services.
He said that the private partnership mix sofar is yielding results as more clients are continuing to access TB treatment.
“The merger of private and government initiative is a good platform for TB patients to achieve results. Partnership has improved private capacity in training, supplies of drugs, equipments” he said.
