UNITA calls for faster integration of its health workers

Former rebel group UNITA has called on Angolan authorities to speed up integration of its health workers into government services, noting an acute lack of medical professionals in the country's ailing health sector. UNITA secretary for health and environment Carlos Morgado told IRIN on Wednesday that despite an improvement in the number of ex-UNITA health "technicians" enrolled at public hospitals last year, there were thousands of trained health workers without employment. "Since the end of the war [April 2002] about 5,000 UNITA health technicians have been integrated into the hospitals and clinics. This is very good, but there are also thousands who have nothing to do - they have turned to other professions, such as agriculture, to survive. The government needs to do more to get these qualified people into jobs, so they can help others," he said. Morgado added that in the Cabindan enclave in the north, 28 nurses had been awaiting recruitment since 2002. "In some provinces there has been no progress in employing UNITA professionals. It is better in the capital [Luanda] but in the Lobito province and in Cunene [province] there is still discrimination against UNITA. Many of the UNITA doctors and nurses are willing to work in rural areas. So why not send them to those public health posts?" he asked. Angola's health system was left in tatters by the 27-year civil conflict. After two years of peace, medical institutions are still struggling to provide adequate treatment, even for common illnesses. "We have some very worrying problems in the health system here and we need every person who is qualified to contribute, so we urge the government to move fast and get these UNITA members into jobs as soon as possible," Morgado said.