ABSENTEEISM AMONG HEALTH WORKERS AT ITS PEAK IN KABALE

By Libino Byamukama

www.mknewslink.com

In Kabale—

Three Kabale District Health Centre III in charges have wrote an apology letter to Health Monitoring Unit from the state house over absenteeism from their respective work places.

The three are Janet Twosugomwe in charge Kamugangunzi III, Moreen Kirungi in charge Buhara centre III and Innocent Agaba In charge Kaharo III

In an audit carried out for the last two month, the accused in charges reported to work for only  17 -19 days yet the in charge is expected to work 40 -42 days.

Addressing the in charge in health center IVs, III and IIs at Kabale municipality council hall in Kabale Municipality, Dr. Brian Arinaitwe who is the Assistant Director at Health Monitoring Unit accused the in charges of organized Absenteeism.

Arinaitwe said the three teams have been involving in organized absenteeism and at the end of the month they claim their money which they have not worked for.

Arinaitwe said that according to the patients in the district, the in charges have been closing their health centers after lunch leaving the situation To Whom It May Concern.

He further cautioned the in charges against extorting money from the patients and that they should stop giving unnecessary excuses to ascertain their absenteeism on work.

Arinaitwe added that they also arrested the in charge at Rubaya Health center IV Monday Medard for having misappropriated government enterprises and also they are investigating that of Kamukyira health center IV Daniel Twesigye.

However in their defense, the in charges pleaded for mercy. They admitted for not signing in the daily attendance book at the respective health centers.

However, they denied allegations of extorting money from the patients. They shifted the blame of absenteeism to ministry of health which involved themselves in government programs like supervising vaccination.

The Kabale District Health Officer Dr. Alfred Besigensi said that they are aware of organized absenteeism not specifically the accused ones.

Besigensi added that they expect the in charge to care responsible at their respective facilities but because they are not always there to monitor them, they take the advantage.

Besigensi called upon the health management committees, chairperson lc iii and the sub county chiefs to support them in addressing the issue of organized absenteeism and extortion.

He however attributed absenteeism at the health center to lack of facilities at the health center to house the in charges

The Kabale Resident District Commissioner Godfrey Nyakahuma pledged to work in hand to have organized absenteeism habit in health workers curbed down.

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