The State House Health Monitoring team on Tuesday ordered four health centre in-charges in Kabale to apologize for absenteeism.
The team led by Assistant Director Dr Brian Arinaitwe, has been in the district for two weeks monitoring the performance of all health facilities.
In a meeting with in-charges of all government health centres in Kabale district, district officials and the officials from State House which was held at Kabale Municipal hall, Dr Arinaitwe ordered 4 health officials to write apologies for absenteeism.
He said that in the 2 weeks monitoring exercise in the district, they found that the four have not been reporting to their respective health facilities.
These include Janet Twesigomwe from Kamuganguzi health centre III, Moreen Kirungi the in charge of Buhara health centre III, Innocent Agaba the in charge of Kaharo health centre III and Ronald Ngabirano the in charge of Bwama health centre III.
Dr Arinaitwe said all the four have only reported to work between 17 and 18 times in the last two months yet the minimum attendance should be 22 times a month and 44 in two months.
He warned the health workers that next time they are caught in the same they will be arrested and charged.
“The biggest problem with the health sector in Kabale is organized absenteeism where there is absenteeism that is coordinated. This is the most serious cancer that we need to solve because you are already doing well in other areas,” he said.
Alfred Besigensi the Kabale district health officer, said most of the health workers do not stay at their respective health facilities and that it is costly to them to travel every day to their work places.
As such, he said, most absentee workers are trying to save on transport costs.
He however called up health workers to be ethical and work within the prevailing conditions as the government plans to improve their working conditions.
