Medics in Mubende decry poor working conditions
Medical workers at Gayaaza Health Centre III in Kassambya Subcounty, Mubende District, have raised concerns over poor working conditions that they say inconvenience effective delivery of services to patients.
While addressing district officials at a staff house commissioning, Mary Goretti Nabuuma, the in-charge Gayaaza Health Centre III, said the facility lacks medical workers such as senior clinical officer, nursing officer and enrolled nursing officer.
"Gayaaza Health Centre III is in dire state when it comes to staffing, for example we are supposed to have three enrolled midwives but we have two and out of 19 staff members, we have only 10," Nabuuma said.
Officials revealed that they work in a single small structure that was constructed in 2008 that is in sorry state, saying they had hopes when the district launched the construction of a new structure but since 2021 its not been completed.
"We are losing hope and its delay resulted into poor performance of the facility, we do not have a proper maternity so we request for the district's intervention," Nabuuma said.
She said the facility was equipped with a microscope but they lack an expert to utilise it and lack of a laboratory has further affected the situation.
"There is no perimeter fence around the facility which leaves our operations too exposed," Nabuuma added.
The district chairperson, Micheal Ntambi Muhereza, promised to follow up on the concerns.
"I am going to make sure that your concerns are addressed because the moment you understand poor conditions you cannot perform well," Ntambi said.
He also promised to engage with the contractor to make sure that the ongoing construction of maternity ward on this facility is completed in time.
"We have already told the contractor to make sure that by [end of] June, the ward is ready for commissioning because we have given him time and all the required equipment," Ntambi added.
At the engagement, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr Abubaker Birungi, commissioned a two-room self-contained staff houses for medical workers worth Shs161 million.
He said they going to reduce cases of absenteeism among medical Workers.
"It's time for our medical workers to stay near the facility which is a big achievement to the district because they are going to handle patients in time," Birungi said.
Speaking to Nile Post, locals who asked for anonymity said most of the workers have been coming late.
"We hope our medical workers are going to be available because we have been coming here to seek medication but you find some are not around but we are happy that they have been given houses," a resident said.