Covid: Medics fault govt over delayed allowances

In Yumbe District, Mr Pontius Amatre, the officer-in-charge of Matuma Health Centre III, said non-payment of allowances to frontline health workers managing Covid-19 patients has frustrated their efforts to contain the virus.

“The health workers have relaxed because allowances haven’t been paid,” he said.

Mr Amatre said the vaccination exercise in this second phase is likely to hit a snag.

“The concluded vaccination in the first phase went on successfully because I used the facility fund to pay the health workers,” he said.

Mr Rasul Drajiga, the assistant chief administrative officer for Yumbe District, asked the health workers to work, saying the government is committed to paying their allowances.

Mr Drajiga, however, said there has been no specific budget to manage Covid-19 for the local governments.

He said in the first vaccination exercise, the development partners supported the district by training the health workers.

“There is no single money sent alongside the vaccines to handle the exercise, but what we are doing is to ask our donor partners to continue supporting us,” he said.

In Lira District, the health workers are frustrated.

Dr Isaac Orech, the officer-in-charge of Erute South Health Sub-district, said health workers have been ignored.

“We have not yet received our risk allowances for treating Covid-19 patients and I am not sure if we will get it,” he said on Tuesday.

However, the Lira acting district health officer, Mr Edmond Aceka, declined to comment on the matter saying he was in a meeting.

In Manafwa District, many lower health facilities are not equipped with oxygen and other medical equipment to handle Covid-19.

The health workers say they cannot operate to their fullest because of the government’s failure to pay their risk allowances.

“We have dedicated our lives to attend to coronavirus patients but the government doesn’t recognise our efforts,” one of the health workers, attached to Bubulo Health Centre IV, who preferred anonymity,  said.

The district in this second wave of Covid-19 has registered more than 30 cases.

The Manafwa District health officer, Dr Daniel Wenani, said apart from risk allowances, they did not receive any funding from the government.

“We have not received any funds for the second wave despite the fact that the number of cases are increasing everyday,” he said.

Dr Stephen Masai, the Namisindwa District health officer, said: “Since the start of this year, health workers have not received their risk allowances. They are voluntarily working to fight this disease.” 

President Museveni on June 25, while presiding over virtually-held national prayers for Covid-19, urged the frontline medical workers to return to work and wait for their allowances.

Asked by Mr Museveni to explain issues involving grievances of medical workers, the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, last week said: “We sat with the Finance ministry and they allowed us to use some money that was stipulated for something else. We shall use it to pay them,” she said.

As of June 30, the country had recorded 79,434 cases, 989 deaths and 52,382 patients had recovered from the virus since its outbreak in May, last year.

Recruiting health workers

In Katakwi District, the health officials have opposed the Ministry of Health’s call to recruit more Covid -19 frontline health officers to oversee the administration of vaccines.

They said it’s not reasonable to recruit more workers yet the government has failed to pay those who are working.

According to the district health officer, Dr Emmanuel Ongala, this is not tenable.

“For the last three months, the officers overseeing the Covid- 19 fight have not received any allowances. They are using their own money to oversee and monitor reported cases,” he said.

Mr Ongala said they will maintain the five Covid vaccination points, which include Aketa Health Centre III in  Ongongoja Sub-county, Magoro in Magoro Sub-county, Ngariam in Ngariam Sub-county, and Toroma and Katakwi health centre IVs.

In Bunyangabu District, the district health officer, Dr Richard Obeti, said since the first wave of lockdown, the health workers, who do surveillance and laboratory work, have not received their allowances.

“We have not received any funds to pay frontline health workers for risk allowances. We only support them through our partners like Baylor Uganda,” Dr Obeti said.

The director of Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Dr Alex Adaku, however, said all frontline health workers at the facility are receiving their allowances.

In Kibuku, district health officer, Dr Godfrey Buyinza, said although the front health workers have not received their risk allowances, they are committed to work.

 “It’s true they haven’t been paid for some time, but I am quite sure they will be paid at an appropriate time,” he said.

He explained that the health workers have continues to perform their duties despite the delayed payment of allowances because they are committed  to their profession.

Dr Buyinza supports the government move of recruiting more health workers, reasoning that it will improve health service delivery.

In Budaka, the district health officer, Dr Elisa Mulwani, also urged health workers to continue working as the wait for their allowances.

The Ministry of Health spokesperson, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, said plans are underway to recruit additional 1,000 health personnel that will be deployed to health facilities across the country.

“The government has taken note of the staffing gap at different health facilities across the country,” he said.

Compiled by Fred Wambede, Patrick Ebong, Robert Elema, Felix Warom Okello, Alex Ashaba, Phoebe Masongole,  Mudagha Kolyangha & Simon Peter Emwamu