Four health
centre IV in-charges and two store assistants are on spot over alleged
absenteeism and failure to account for government supplies.
The
in-charges are Janet Twesigwome of Kamuganguzi HCIII in Kamuganguzi sub-county,
Maureen Kirungi of Buhara HCIII in Buhara sub-county, Innocent Agaba attached
to Kaharo HCIII in Kaharo sub-county and Ronald Ngabirano Bwama Island health
center III in Kitumba sub-county.
They are
being accused of being absent from work which compromises effective health
service delivery.
Dr. Brian
Arineitwe, the Assistant Director of the State House Monitoring Unit says that
the accused health workers are currently under investigation by the unit
following a tip-off from concerned whistleblowers. It is alleged
that the team worked for 17 to 19 days in the last two months instead of 22 days
in a month.
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Alfred Besigensi, acting Kabale District
Health Officer says that the accused health workers have been warned several times
to stop the vice in vain. He says that the absence of the in-charges from work
was an opportunity for the junior health workers not to show up for work.
Besigensi
however attributes the problem to the lack of accommodation for workers at many
of the health facilities.
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But,
Twesigwomwe and Agaba argue that they failed to show up on duty due to too many
duties that were assigned to them during Covid-19 and Polio vaccination
campaigns.
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Meanwhile,
store assistants, Medard Monday attached to Rubaya Health center IV in Rubaya sub-county and Moses Agaba attached to Kamukiira Health IV in Southern
Division, Kabale Municipality is being investigated for allegedly failing to
account for drugs the health centres received from Nationals Drug Authority-NDA
for the last two months.
According to Arineitwe, when the State House
monitoring unit officials reached Rubaya health centre IV last week, Monday fled
when he was asked to present an account for drugs the facility received in
the last two months.
He also says that while Agaba did not run
away, he also failed to provide records about drugs that the facility received,
an issue that raised a suspicion that they are sold to private health
facilities.
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Edmond Ntimba, Kabale
District Chief Administrative Officer says that Monday was later early this
week arrested by police but later released on police bond. He says that his
office is in process of interdicting him as investigations into the matter
continue.
