Helvy Shaanika
Ongwediva
The Office of the Prime Minister has transferred Dr Andreas Mwoombola from his post as permanent secretary for the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS).
Mwoombola’s redeployment is with effect from last Friday.
The move to transfer Mwoombola from MoHSS to Cabinet Office within the Office of the Prime Minister with effect from December 8, 2017, comes as part of a major effort to revive the collapsing health system in the country.
A press release issued on Sunday, signed by the Secretary to Cabinet, George Simataa, states that Mwoombola’s transfer from the health ministry was “necessitated by the urgent need to normalize the administrative and political interface at the Ministry of Health and Social Services”.
“Amongst others, the administrative and political interface at the Ministry of Health and Social Services is reported to have become acrimonious, which has the potential to impact on service delivery,” read the press statement.
Over the past few months Mwoombola, and his now former line minister Dr Bernard Haufiku, have been at each other’s throats, with counter-accusations coming from both parties, which negatively impacted service delivery in the health ministry.
Between July and August this year, Mwoombola was subjected to suspension and disciplinary hearings following allegations of mismanagement and corruption.
He was however reinstated a few days thereafter. Investigations into his case are still ongoing.
Because of the alleged personality clashes between Mwoombola and his boss Haufiku, hospitals across the country have been suffering from shortages of medical equipment and drugs.
Last week Haufiku took journalists on a tour of empty medical stores to show how bad the situation was at the ministry.
In fact, some doctors threatened to boycott theatre if the situation had not improved. As a result, President Hage Geingob, during the last cabinet meeting of the year, suggested that either Mwoombola or Haufiku be moved from their position at the ministry in order to normalize operations again.
“Therefore, the transfer has to be made to ensure that operations of this critical ministry continue smoothly and unaffected.”
“His transfer has nothing to do with the disciplinary process underway but is purely an administrative matter aimed at promoting administrative effectiveness at the Ministry of Health and Social Services in particular, and the public service in general,” added Simataa.
Simataa further maintained that the reported shortage of resources at the Ministry of Health and Social Services is receiving government’s attention and reforms as recommended in the presidential inquiry into the situation at the ministry that was carried out a few years ago.
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Pic: Mwoombola