Government finally moves Sironko doctor

Budadiri Health Centre IV head Joseph Otuko (R) leads the Minister of State for Primary Healthcare, Ms Sarah Opendi, and other officials in a tour of the facility in Sironko District on Monday. PHOTO BY YAHUDU KITUNZI

What you need to know:

Efforts. The Health ministry says the doctor will undergo counselling and be investigated.

Sironko. The Ministry of Health has finally transferred a doctor from Sironko after district authorities suspended him for allegedly lacking a practising licence and failing to conduct his duties at a health facility.
Dr Joseph Otuko, the officer in charge of Budadiri Heath Centre IV, will also undergo rehabilitation.
This comes barely a week after residents of Budadiri Town Council protested his transfer.
The head of State House Health Monitoring team, Dr Diana Atwine, said Dr Otuko needed counselling to enable him regain his health.
“What happened was unfortunate that people destroyed government property worth millions of money over something that could have been prevented much earlier. We are going to investigate further into some of the allegations against the doctor and the district,” Dr Atwine said on Monday.
Dr Atwine said government would reopen the health centre soon.
The Minister of State for Primary Healthcare, Ms Sarah Opendi, directed the Medical and Practitioners Council to convene a meeting urgently and call the doctor to defend himself against the allegation of lacking a licence.
She also directed the district to speed up investigations into the matter.
“According to standing orders, it [investigation] is supposed to have taken between three and six months but from January to-date the district is still carrying out investigations,” she said.
Dr Otuko said his intention was to work hard and regain everyone’s trust and respect.

Other staff to move

Minister of State for Primary healthcare Sarah Opendi also directed chief administrative officer, Mr Joseph Lomongin, to immediately transfer all health workers at Budadiri Health Centre IV and deploy new staff.