Ndugulile sacked; who’s next at Health ministry?
Dar es Salaam. Things have not been the same at the Health ministry for the past one month as President John Magufuli’s administration ups its fight against Covid-19.
President Magufuli’s sacking of Health deputy minister Faustine Ndugulile on Saturday - replacing him with Dr Godwin Mollel - was just a continuation of heads rolling at the ministry which is tasked with fighting Covid-19.
Dr Ndugulile – who holds a Doctorate of Medicine and Master of Science in Microbiology degrees from the University of Dar es Salaam, as well as a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Western Cape – is the latest victim in a series of steps that President Magufuli has been taking in his administration’s fight against Covid-19.
Heads have been rolling at the Health ministry since April 22 when Dr Magufuli appointed Prof Mabula Mchembe the new permanent secretary in the ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, the Elderly, and Children.
Before becoming the President’s advisor on Health issues, Prof Mchembe taught in the Department of Surgery at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences.
Dr Zainab Chaula, who held the Health permanent secretary docket, was moved to Communications, a docket within the ministry of Works, Transport and Communications.
President Magufuli also appointed Prof Abel Makubi the new chief medical officer (CMO) to replace Prof Mohamed Kambi who held the CMO’s position prior to Prof Makubi’s appointment, and had to retire.
With the President exuding his reservations over the accuracy of Covid-19 test results from the national community health laboratory, he called on the authorities to investigate “sabotage” at the national laboratory - and heads kept on rolling at the ministry.
He said Prof Mchembe had secretly taken a variety of samples from animals, fruits and vehicle engine oil for testing at the laboratory.
According to Dr Magufuli, a papaya, a quail and a goat tested Covid-19 positive, thereby suspecting a “dirty game” at the laboratory.
“That means there is possibility for technical errors, or these imported reagents have issues.
“Probably, the technicians are also bought to mislead,” said President Magufuli.
In line with that, it took the President just hours to fire the director general of the Medical Stores Department (MSD), Laurean Bwanakunu, replacing him with Brigadier General Gabriel Mhidize.
That was followed by further heads rolling at the ministry when Ms Mwalimu suspended the national community health laboratory director, Dr Nyambura Moremi, and the quality assurance manager, Jacob Lusekelo from work.
Since the President expressed his reservations over the correctness of laboratory tests, Tanzania has not issued any new update on the number of Covid-19 tests.
So far, the announced number of Covid-19 cases stands at 509, with 183 recoveries and 21 deaths.
No reason has so far been given for the firing of Dr Ndugulile.
Mid-last month, Dr Ndugulile warned against some traditional means of treating patients, including that of making patient inhale vapour from some boiled herbs.
He said such a tendency may block the respiratory system.
“A number of people have spoken about some traditional remedies to Covid-19.
“Putting the patient close to the vapour of some heated/boiled herbs is not the right option because it may obstruct a respiratory system which cannot tolerate too much heat,” he told a local television station.
But in what might have suggested that the writing was on the war for Dr Ndugulile, President Magufuli himself openly supported traditional treatment means for Covid-19 when he spoke to the nation on April 22.
He called upon Tanzanians to look into the effectiveness of some traditional treatment means, including putting the patient close to the vapour of some herbs that have been boiled at 100 degrees Celsius may prove effective in evaporating the virus if it is still at the nose or at the mouth.
“This is important and scientific. Tanzanians must be encouraged to use other herbs including onions and other traditional chemicals,” he said.
Dr Ndugulile said that he received the message of his sacking with humility.
“I have received the President’s decision with a lot of humility. I thank JPM [President John Pombe Magufuli] for giving me the opportunity to serve in his administration…,” Dr Ndugulile wrote on his twitter page on Sunday.
He said the Health ministry has registered tremendous achievements during the past years and thanked minister Ummy Mwalimu and her team for the job.
Likewise, the newly-appointed deputy minister for Health has had some punching statements over the opposition since he ditched opposition politics a few months ago.
Debating the Health ministry’s official budget for the financial year 2020/21 that officially commences on July 1 this year, Dr Mollel said it made little sense for the country to listen to the leader of the political opposition in Parliament, Mr Freeman Mbowe, on steps to be taken to surmount the Covid-19 pandemic once and for all.
