Budaka CAO suspends health workers leave amidst surging COVID-19 cases

The Budaka district Covid 19 task force has resolved to cancel leave and recall all the health workers in the district to help reinforce the existing personnel in the fight against the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Elly Piwang the Chief Administrative Officer sounded this move on Wednesday 23rd June 2021 during the district task force meeting.

In the past 17 days, the district has registered 143 positive cumulative cases out of the 748 samples tested, 5 are under ICU, 61 have recovered and 4 have succumbed.

Section 54 (a) of the Employment Act of 2006 states that an employee is entitled to annual leave as accumulated and has to be taken at a date and period agreed between the two parties, (employer and employee) during the calendar year.

The leave days are meant to ensure you rest and return to duty re-invigorated and more productive.

Without disclosing the number, Mr. Piwang said following the upsurge in the Covid 19 cases several health workers had thronged his office with letters requesting to be granted annual leave next month.

He further alluded that the district is imploring avenues of bringing the interns on board to help.

Budaka has 15 health facilities across the district with 217 health workers.

The district health educator Victoria Namugwere said communities are hostile to the district staff carrying out the covid 19 sensitization drive accusing them of spreading the virus.

Tom Chesol RDC urged the locals to buy their own masks saying the government has no plan to redistribute masks but rather avail vaccines.

He banned bodabodas from parking inside the facility.