Namutumba: Health workers face penalty over negligence of duty

Namutumba, (UG): The State House Health Monitoring Unit (SHHMU) has expressed dissatisfaction with the negligence of duty by a section of health workers in Namutumba District who are using unsterilized equipment while working on patients especially the mothers, despite the presence of sterilizing equipment in the facilities.

The issue in particular was brought to attention of the monitoring unit by the public who also accused the health workers of absenteeism from work, something which puts the lives of patients at risk and the unit has since subjected the culprits to investigations.

According to Assistant Director SHHMU, Dr Ssemanda Elija, the public complained about absenteeism and poor service delivery which prompted them to visit the district health center IIIs and IVs and ascertain if the allegations were true and also establish other challenges in the district health sector. 

“We found that absenteeism especially if the in-charges and these are the clinical officers. We found in one health centre III where a clinical officer worked for a total of 24 days in a period of 9 months yet he has been drawing salary every month and it seems nothing has been done and he was transferred from one health centre to another and this is totally unaccepted,” Dr Ssemanda said.

He added that another clinical officer who is an in-charge of a certain facility went on study leave in Ishaka district with a facility account and never handed over office and activities continue to affect the health sector since there is no money to run the facility. He also discovered that expectant mothers are being worked on with unsterilized equipment yet the sterilizing equipment is available.

“The clinical officers leave the burden to midwives who interface with patients and currently the health workers who are not attending duty have been subjected to ongoing investigations and those who will be found guilty will be subjected to penalties provided for in our constitution and the laws governing the country,” Dr Ssemanda added. 

Namutumba District Spokesperson, Mr Kiire Noah speaking to DailyExpress explained that the State House Monitoring Unit were in the district to follow up services in health specifically and a number of loopholes were discovered, and pledged that the management and administration of the district will carry keen and tightened supervision to better service delivery and promote a good health sector in Namutumba district.

“The team from state house noted absenteeism of our staff but on that case, as management and administration of the district, we pledge that we’re going to carry out close supervision and tighten our supervision to ensure that these gaps are all bridged up to ensure better service delivery and promote good health in Namutumba district,” Mr. Kiire Noah said.

“We shall find out the cause of staff absenteeism by doing a thorough investigation in the matter,” he added.