Wakiso health workers to miss salary over absenteeism

Health authorities in Wakiso District have cautioned health workers against dodging work saying they will miss salaries.

Dr Mathias Lugoloobi, the Acting District Health Officer, said this during the mid-term performance review meeting held at Kavumba recreation centre in Wakiso.

Dr Lugoloobi said despite warning letters and interdiction of two medics last year, some health workers are still absent at their workplaces.

“We shall be monitoring you and if we find out that you have not been coming to the facility, the salary of that month will be withheld,” Dr Lugoloobi said.

Dr Lugoloobi further said there is a tendency of some workers using their colleagues to sign for them in the attendance books even when they have not appeared at work.

“I can easily identify someone’s handwriting and if we ask your in-charges and they reveal to us you have been absent, don’t expect the salary at the end of the month,” Dr Lugoloobi warned.

He said one will only be paid for the month they have been working and no money shall be claimed for the withheld salary.

“Why would you want the government to pay you yet you are not working. You know what took you to school and that is what we want you to do,” he said.

The mid-term performance review of the health sector in Wakiso was conducted to check the performance of the district from July- December 2023 whether the sector was moving in the right direction.

Mr Alfred Malinga, the Chief Administrative Officer, said their review found out there is a great improvement in performance especially on health centre IVs.

“We have less than 10 percent referrals compared to the referrals we made from January to June last year," he said.

“We would have done better but we still have challenges with our health workers, specifically the in-charges,” Mr Malinga said.

He said the medics who were interdicted last year are going through disciplinary action. “They have appeared before the rewards and sanction committee.”

He said they still have audit issues with Dr Dickie Lukanga, who was the Wakiso HC IV in-charge and the process to handle his disciplinary case is still ongoing.

“There are more emerging issues after doing audits of the health facility because we found a number of glaring issues,” Mr Malinga said.

Mr Malinga said they have sought for Dr Lukanga’s attention but he has not yet responded but they plan to start his disciplinary process, appear before the rewards sanction and take him to district service commission.

Mr Eron Kiiza, the Chief Executive Officer of The Environment Shield and a human rights lawyer, said denying salary to a worker is a disciplinary mechanism.

“It should be done in accordance with the law, to find out why that person has been absent at work,” Mr Kiiza said.

Mr Kiiza asked workers to always be responsible saying, “People who want to be paid should appear at the workplaces. If they have emergencies, let them communicate.” he said.

Last year, Mr Malinga received a report from the Ministry of Health, which blamed Wakiso District for poor service delivery and making a number of unnecessary referrals to hospitals in Kampala city.

According to the report, in the previous fiscal year (2022/2023), Kawempe National Referral Hospital received 14,243 maternal referrals and 3,418 perinatal referrals. A total of 3,766 maternal referrals making 26 percent, and 687 perinatal referrals, equating to 20 percent, were from Wakiso District.

The CAO noted that during the same period, 123 maternal deaths were registered at Kawempe hospital. Of these 43 (35 percent) were from Wakiso.