Uganda: 50 medics in Kayunga face interdiction

At least 50 medical workers in Kayunga District are on the verge of being interdicted over absenteeism from duty.

Mr Abdul Batambuze, the Kayunga District chief administrative officer (CAO), told Monitor that the affected medical workers have been reporting to workstations for less than 15 days in a month.

He said despite being warned against absenteeism, many of them refused to change, hence the decision to take disciplinary against them.

“Some of them (medics) have been reporting on duty twice a month and at the end of the month, they go to the bank to draw salaries. This is unacceptable and we are determined to discipline them,” Mr Batambuze said during an interview on Tuesday

“In civil service, salary is earned and whoever doesn’t report to duty for at least 15 days does not deserve to earn it (salary),” he added.

The CAO has also written to the affected staff to show cause why they should not be interdicted. The names of the staff have also been forwarded to the district’s sanctions and reward committee, which would meet to hear their explanations.

“The health workers, who will be found culpable, will be interdicted,” he said.

Mr Batambuze said absenteeism from duty by public servants has compromised service delivery.

He said the affected staff are from Kangulumira, Bbaale and Ntenjeru health centre IVs and Wabwoko, Busaana, Busaale, Nkokonjeru, and Lugasa health centre IIIs.

Extortion
Mr Batambuze also vowed to lay a trap for medics who extort money from patients.

“Some medics don’t attend to patients who don’t give them money. I urge all local leaders and patients to inform us in case they are asked to pay money in order to get services at public facilities,” he said.

Dr Robert Ssentongo, the director of Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital, asked residents to report to him medics who demand money in exchange for a service.

Plan
Last month, the government revealed that it was preparing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) where each staff will be rated by their supervisors against their key outputs quarterly. According to information from the Health ministry, unauthorised public sector absenteeism rate is 11 percent while authorised absenteeism is 38 percent