Only cleaners and village health teams were found at Busamaga Health Centre III in Mbale City on Monday morning, after city authorities carried out an abrupt inspection following complaints that health workers routinely report late, leave early, and fail to operate the facility on Sundays.
The inspection, conducted at about 10:00 a.m., found no health workers at the facility, including the in-charge, Janet Nabulo. The inspection team was led by Hamuza Banja, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Mbale City Industrial Division, who said authorities had received complaints that staff at the health centre report for duty as late as midday and leave at about 4:00 p.m.
Banja said the team decided to conduct an unannounced inspection to establish whether the complaints were genuine. “When we reached the health facility at 10:00 a.m., we found only cleaners and VHTs, with no health workers, including the in-charge,” Banja said.
He condemned the absenteeism as a form of corruption and called for immediate disciplinary action against the health workers and the facility’s in-charge. Banja also said the inspection was intended to investigate allegations of theft and diversion of government medicines. He said authorities had received complaints that medicines delivered by the National Medical Stores often run out within a few days, with allegations that some health workers divert the drugs to their private clinics or sell them.
The Deputy RCC questioned why health workers were reportedly staying away from staff quarters provided at the facility, saying that their residence at the facility is important for responding to emergencies. Banja said the inspection team ordered Nabulo to report to Mbale City authorities for questioning today. However, when contacted for a response, Nabulo declined to comment, instead directing the reporter to obtain permission from the Mbale City Health Officer, Dr Moses Mugonyi.
Mbale City Deputy Town Clerk Jolly Hasoho said she would comment after receiving a detailed report on the inspection, since she was not in office when the inspection was conducted. Under the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders 2021, health workers are classified as essential service staff and are therefore required to work on a shift or roster system based on operational needs.
The system is intended to ensure continuous health service coverage, including nights, Sundays, and public holidays, rather than applying the conventional Monday-to-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. working arrangement. For a Health Centre III, duty rosters are expected to provide continuous coverage, with the in-charge responsible for preparing and displaying the monthly roster.
The Standing Orders also require health workers allocated staff quarters to reside at the facility to ensure they are available for emergencies. The inspection has therefore raised questions over whether staffing, attendance and duty-roster requirements are being complied with at Busamaga Health Centre III-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
