Mbarara cuts health worker absenteeism, maternal referrals

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Mbarara, Uganda | URN | Health worker absenteeism in Mbarara District has fallen from 11 percent to three percent in the past year, while referrals of expectant mothers to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital have also dropped by half, district officials say.

The improvement follows intensified supervision of health facilities and measures to ensure that medical workers are present and providing services when they are scheduled to work. Mbarara District Health Officer Dr Peter Sebutinde said the district has reduced absenteeism over the past 12 months through unannounced supervision and disciplinary action against health workers who absent themselves from duty without permission.

He said the district stopped relying only on attendance registers and instead began physically verifying whether health workers were at their duty stations.