Luwero District Installs Biometric Timers to Fight Absenteeism in Health Centre
Written by admin on July 2, 2021
Luwero district health department has completed the installation of fingerprint time and attendance devices across government health centres in a move aimed at fighting rampant absenteeism.
Some health workers in Luwero report to work as late as 11 a.m. while others don’t show up for a number of days. Data from surveys conducted by Twaweza’s Sauti za Wananchi in 2017, shows that about 15 per cent of respondents encountered problems of absent doctors and 30 per cent said they spent long hours in queues among others challenges.
Now, Dr Innocent Nkonwa, the Luwero District Health Officer says that to fight absenteeism, each staff at the Health Centers and at Luwero Hospital will be required to check in on arrival and also check out after work. He adds that the timer will delete the names of those who check-in and leave work without checking out and be counted as absent on that day.
Nkonwa says that the data will be compiled and on a monthly basis, salaries computed against the number of days worked, noting that in the first month after the installation of the timer at Luwero hospital, 50 per cent of staff were found not eligible for payment of salary because they worked for fewer days in the month.
Nkonwa, however, advised health workers to sanitize before using the fingerprint timers to avoid the spread of COVID 19 disease.
Meanwhile, the initiative has been welcomed by residents and local government leaders in the area. Luwero district chairperson Erastus Kibirango says that he had been overwhelmed with complaints from residents who fail to get health services over the absence of health workers.
Abdul Mazinga, the district councillor for Zirobwe town council says that the timer will help to restore trust in government health centres that had been shunned by residents over the chronic absenteeism of staff.
Brenda Nabukenya, the Luwero District Woman Member of Parliament, while narrating a recent experience at Luwero hospital, where she struggled with a patient with no one to take care of her, is hopeful that such cases will reduce after the installation of the timer at the hospital.
Section F-B (10) the Uganda Public Standing Orders mandate the government to take disciplinary action against an officer including making deductions from his or her pay for any period during, which he or she is absent from work without permission.
