Despite Salary Enhancement, Absenteeism Remains a Concern in Health Facilities
In the health sector of Uganda, there is still a significant problem of absenteeism among healthcare workers, along with delayed distribution of essential items like mosquito nets. Even though the government has increased their salaries, the issue persists.
Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director General of Health Services, expressed his worry about the high levels of absenteeism. He mentioned that they recently visited several government hospitals across the country and found that despite the salary improvements, the dedication of workers to their jobs has not improved. In one instance, they discovered a consultant who only works two days a week and communicates with medical interns via WhatsApp. While doctors’ salaries were raised from Shillings 3 million to Shillings 5.4 million, consultants now earn Shillings 12 million per month.
Dr. Mwebesa made these remarks during a meeting where researchers from Makerere University were presenting their findings from a study on the implementation of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health policies in hospitals.
Dr. Emmanuel Odongo, a researcher and gynecologist at Makerere University, highlighted another issue discovered during their study: the distribution of maternal and reproductive health commodities, such as medicines, was not following the policy guidelines. For instance, mosquito nets were given to pregnant women during their last antenatal visit, contrary to guidelines stating they should receive them on the first visit. Additionally, some passed Ministry policies lacked monitoring and evaluation plans, resulting in respondents stating that they were not being implemented.
The researchers also found that the implementation of policies was not based on scientific evidence but was influenced by political views. Jessica Nsungwa, the Commissioner for Maternal and Child Health at the Ministry of Health, mentioned that local governments should play a role in planning the implementation of policies. She noted that when policies and guidelines were passed, they were sent to District Health Officers, but they were not always forwarded to health facilities.
Prof. Charles Ibingira, the Principal Investigator of the study, emphasized that the government should clearly communicate its targets to all hospital managers and healthcare workers. The current practice of using policies in a piecemeal manner, without defined targets, hampers the country’s progress.
