House committee serves ministry notice over hospital suspensions

 
PARLIAMENTARY Committee on Social Services yesterday gave the Ministry of Health seven days to explain why Mwanza Regional Commissioner suspended health workers at Butimba Hospital without following due procedures.

Earlier this month Mwanza RC Magesa Mulongo suspended three doctors, six nurses and two other workers at Butimba hospital due to several allegations, including the death of twin babies. But RC Mulongo defended his decision to suspend health workers, saying it was based on the fact that what they did was against medical ethics.

The chairman of the Committee, MP Raphael Chegeni, said the House team discovered that there was abuse of power in the decision by Mwanza RC to suspend the health workers.

The directive follows a question raised by Kigoma Urban MP Zitto Kabwe who wanted to know what happened in Mwanza that forced the RC to suspend health workers. Zitto told the Committee that there were a lot of patients who had died of lack of medical treatment with others experiencing difficult conditions in the hospital. 

The Kigoma MP added that the RC did not ask for a performance report for the health workers to identify specific problems at the hospital. 

Chegeni who is a Member of Parliament for Busega Constituency said the RC did not follow the required procedures which require that all matters concerning health workers are settled in their Councils.

“The committee has come to the conclusion that the RC used his political power to suspend the hospital personnel,” said the chairman. 

He warned politicians to desist from mixing politics with serious matters including provision of health services to rural citizens as this could cause suffering to rural residents. 

The chairman, however, told the ministry to make sure that they improve the working condition for health workers in terms of salaries and allowances. 

“The ministry should review its policy to make sure that it matches the current situation by improving the living conditions of health workers… the main reason for poor health services in rural areas is due to poor living conditions for health workers,” he said. 

Commenting, Special Seats MP Suzan Lyimo said government officials were supposed to acknowledge the contribution of health workers who played a big role in saving lives.

She added that currently the country was facing a huge shortage of health workers specifically in rural areas. “However, health workers in rural areas work under small salaries, with no incentives given to them to support their duties,” she said.

“If the government fails to give priority to health workers they will quit their jobs and seek employment in other countries,” she warned.