The State House Health monitoring unit has cautioned staff at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital against extortion,in a move to ensure proper service delivery to the community.
Dr Brian Arinitwe,the assistant director State House Health Monitoring unit while meeting the Hospital staff on Monday in Kabale said extortion was the most reported vice yet services at government hospitals are free.
“Let me say this, some of you don’t know why you live miserable lives… I tell you, there’s no way you extort from the poor and expect to get richer,live happy lives,” said Dr Arinitwe.
Dr Arinitwe also warned that the unit shall conduct very special operations at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital,aimed at ensuring that government money and efforts are accounted for.
“We shall have special operations,I must be honest and we shall get you. Serve the community,be servants. The little money you extort can’t make you richer,” he added.
The Kabale Resident District Commissioner Godfrey Nyakahuma speaking at the same meeting, urged health workers to stick to professional etiquettes for better service delivery to the community.
Nyakahuma added that most of the health workers were raised from peasant communities,and worried why they were extorting their own poor people who raised them.
“It’s unfortunate that we’ve reciprocated the love to our peasantry class through extortion… sometimes you need to be human beings also. Let’s stick to the etiquette and avoid little bribes.”
The Health Monitoring Unit was established in August 2009 by the Directive of the President under Article 171 of the Constltution of the Republic of Uganda (1995) as a Medicines/Health Services Delivery Unlt in response to the persistent public outcry on the poor medicines and health services delivery in the country.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com