The Ministry of Health has attributed the poor service delivery in government hospitals and health centers to hospital directors who have failed to hold health care workers accountable.

Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director General of health services at the ministry, stated that hospital directors have the authority to take action and guarantee that health workers deliver as expected, but many have failed to do so.

He made the remarks during the 29th annual health sub-program joint review mission meeting held at the Speke Resort Hotel Munyonyo Victoria Hall on November 2, 2023, under the theme: “Leveraging Community Health Approaches and Systems as Catalysts for Strengthening Population Health and Safety in Uganda”.

“If I go to the hospital, the doctors are not working; you find only the consultant, and the doctors come on any day they feel like without anyone questioning them. Why do we allow that in our own government hospitals?” Mwebesa said.

Dr. Mwebesa urged hospital directors and senior nursing officers to get tough, since they are the ones to do the interventions in all government hospitals and health centers.

He further explained that the surgeons have done no theater or operation in a whole month, but the consultants have done several ward rounds in a month, yet the surgeons are earning more than the consultants.

On the other hand, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Diana Atwiine, wants local government officials to intervene and assist in resolving the problem of absenteeism in health facilities.

She stated that there are many people who do wrong things, and they get away with it because of the impunity that the ministry has allowed to be entrenched in processes.

“Even the would-be supervisors do not have the moral authority to discipline the other people because they are also part of the problem,” Atwiine said.

She said the government has an elaborate structure that can deal with everything, including monitoring and supervision in all sectors, including the health sector.