District Health Officers (DHOs) from the Kigezi Sub-Region have called for the dignified handling of health officers suspected of involvement in corruption, warning that continued public humiliation could negatively impact public confidence in the health entire sector.
This was contained in a memorandum , read to Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi during the Regional Joint Health Review Engagement held in Rubanda District.
Reading the memorandum, Kabale DHO Dr. Gilbert Mateeka said the DHOs were disturbed by reports in which a number of health workers from other districts had been humiliated before the public for “simply being suspected of engaging in corruption.”
Dr. Mateeka did not point to any specific case, but his statements came amidst an ongoing corruption exposure campaign by Ministers of Local Government Balaam Barugahara and his State Minister, Justin Nameere.
A number of government officials, including health officials, have been captured on camera being grilled by the Ministers. Some of them ended up in handcuffs and were subsequently interdicted on orders of the Ministers.
“We appreciate and support the fight against corruption, but we also request that when it comes to the health workers, there should be consideration of the fact that some of them are wrongly accused and publicly embarrassing them could affect public confidence in our health systems,” Dr. Mateeka said.
In response, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi said he concurred with the DHOs and would raise their concerns with the relevant authorities.
The Minister cited the presumption of innocence as factor to consider, arguing that there are many internal conflicts in different government institutions, and that some individuals could exploit gaps in the government’s anti-corruption campaigns to fight personal battles.
Meanwhile, the former National Drug Authority Board Chairperson, Dr. Medard Bitekyerezo, called for more stringent measures against corruption in the health sector, particularly regarding the theft of drugs in public health facilities.
He blamed the top leadership at the health facilities, for laxity in monitoring and supervision, which leaves culprits with the opportunity to steal government drugs.
“People are no longer stealing drugs in small amounts. We have intercepted lorries full of stolen drugs,” he said, adding that the people involved in the theft of drugs usually include nurses, pharmacists, and the gate keepers. Rubanda District is hosting the 4th Annual Kigezi Regional Health Sector Joint Performance Review Mission (JRM), scheduled for three days starting September 1, 2026.
The JRM is convened by Kabale Regional Referral Hospital on behalf of the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with regional health departments and development partners. Its purpose is to assess healthcare service delivery, rank district performance, and identify solutions to key health challenges affecting communities. Previous JRMs were hosted by Kabale, Kanungu, and Kisoro Districts.-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
