Department of Health
The department of Health at the Municipal
Assembly level consists of the office of the District Medical Officer
of Health and the Environmental Health Unit.
The functions of the Department of Health are to:
- advise on the construction and rehabilitation of clinics and health centers or facilities;
- assist in the operation and
maintenance of all health facilities under the jurisdiction of
the regional and district coordinating council;
- assist to undertake health education and family immunization and nutrition programmes;
- coordinate works of health centers or posts or community based health workers;
- facilitate collection and analysis of data on health;
- promote and encourage good health and sanitation;
- facilitate diseases control and prevention;
- advise on management of the sick;
- assist to formulate, plan and
implement district health policies within the framework of national
health policies and guidelines provided by the Minister of Health;
- provide reports on the implementation of policies and programes relating to health in the District Assembly
- advise the Assembly on all matters relating to health including diseases in the District;
- advise on the:
- appointment, discipline, posting and transfer of health personnel within the district,
- formulation and appointment of
District Health management Committee, Advisory Boards, Committee of
Disrtict Hospital, Polyclinics and Health Centers,
- supervision and control of all District health Institutions, and
- collection of health statistical data and other relevant information,
- advise on the licensing and regulation of provision of medical care services by the private sector in the district;
- facilitate activities relating to mass immunization and screening for diseases treatment in the district;
- assist to educate and inform residents of the district on sanitation and personal hygiene;
- facilitate and assist in regular
inspection of the district for detection of nuisance of any condition
likely to be offensive or injurious to human health;
- assist in efficient management of
clinical care, community health care and environmental health services
in the district infrastructure, to clean the district hospitals,
polyclinics, health posts and dressing stations;
- assist to establish, install, build and control public latrines, lavatories, urinals and wash places;
- assist the Assemblies in the licensing
of persons to build and operate public latrines, lavatories, urinals,
wash houses and related services in the District;
- monitor the activities of the operators and report to the District Assembly;
- assist to establish, maintain and carry out services for the removal and treatment of liquid waste;
- advise on the regulation and provision
of services for removal and treatment of liquid waste by the private
sector, persons authorized or licensed by the District Assembly;
- assist to establish, maintain and
carry out the removal and disposal of refuse, filth and carcasses of
dead animals from any public place;
- advise on the regulation and provision
of services by the private sector licensed by the District Assembly for
the removal, disposal and processing of refuse, filth and carcasses of
animals;
- assist to regulate any trade or
business which may be harmful or injurious to public health or a source
of danger to the public or which otherwise is in the interest to
regulate;
- assist to provide for the inspection
of meat, fish, vegetables and other foodstuff and liquids of whatever
kind or nature, whether intended for sale or not and to seize, destroy
and otherwise deal with such foodstuff or liquids as are unfit for human
consumption;
- facilitate supervision and control of
the manufacture of foodstuffs and liquids of whatever kind or nature
intended for human consumption;
- assist to provide, maintain, supervise
and control slaughter houses and pounds and all such matters and things
as may be necessary for the convenient use of such slaughter houses;
- advise on licensing of persons and regulations of the provision of slaughter houses and related services;
- facilitate the prevention and dealing with the outbreak and prevalence of any diseases;
- advise on the prevention of the
spreading and examination of tsetse fly, mosquitoes, rat, bugs, and
other vermin in the district;
- advise on the establishment and maintenance of cemeteries and crematoria; or
- advise and encourage the keeping of
animals in the district including horses, cattle, sheep and goats,
domestic pets and poultry; and
- assist in the control of noise, odour, dust and smoke pollution.