Confusion mars doctors' transfers

Confusion surrounds the recent transfer of over 30 medical staff from Kawempe Hospital to various health centres countrywide, after some of them were rejected by the would-be recipient facilities.

Besides, New Vision has learnt that some of the medics who were transferred to upcountry hospitals have turned down the offer, saying they were not willing to work far from Kampala.

"Some of us have decided to work in private hospitals, where we are even paid better than what the government has been paying us. Some of us have young families, and others have enrolled for further studies at Makerere University. So, we cannot leave for upcountry posts," revealed one of the affected doctors.

Dr Fauz Juma Kavuma, who was transferred to Gulu, said he cannot go to his new station because he has a young family.

He said he currently takes care of his wife, who, he said, was recently involved in an accident.

"On this basis, I will simply resign, as the money earned does not justify the family inconvenience."

Kawempe Hospital, now a national referral handling mostly deliveries, has the largest neonatal intensive care unit, which accommodates 70-80 new babies daily. About 120 mothers are delivered from the facility daily.

One of the affected doctors, who preferred anonymity, said Kawempe Hospital was left with a skeletal staff, despite the high number of patients.

He said they were not given any justifiable reason for the transfers.

He said although some of the medics had shown interest in working with hospitals where they had been transferred, they were denied a chance to offer their services in those facilities because there is no budget for them.

The transfer

In a July 2 letter to the health ministry permanent secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, Kawempe hospital acting executive director Dr Nekemiah Katusiime said 40 medical officers had been recruited under Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for deployment at Kawempe general hospital then.

However, quoting cabinet minute number 231 of 2018, Katusiime said the mandate of Kawempe changed from being a general hospital to a national referral hospital.

"This, therefore, means that it no longer required the medical officers as the case with a general hospital. The purpose of this letter is to request for adjustment of the established structure by redeploying medical officers to other government entities and deploy more of the specialists and midwives," Katusiime wrote.

The letter further reads that out of the 40 medical officers, three are pursuing masters in obstetrics and gynaecology while two have requested for study leave after being admitted to Makerere University for post-graduate studies in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Subsequently, an internal memo from the Kawempe hospital principal human resource officer to all medical officers dated August 27, asked the medics to pick their transfer letters that were issued by the health ministry.

The facilities where the medics have been transferred are Masaka, Hoima, Arua, Jinja, Lira, Fort Portal, Mbarara, Gulu, Soroti, Mbale, Mubende hospitals.

In a letter dated July 15, the affected doctors petitioned the Health Service Commission (HSC) against "unfair and halt this process…," the medics wrote.

They argued that their appraisals did not portray poor performance as had been alleged and that many of them were still receiving mentorship and adapting to the work.

They also argued that 50% of the work was being done by them and that the COVID-19 had affected the education cycle, thereby stopping the production of interns who could replace them.

However, their petition was not listened to as the transfer process went ahead.

Medics rejected

However, when some of the staff reported to the posts where they had been transferred, they were bounced and left confused.

In a letter to Atwine, Jinja hospital director Dr Florence Tugumisirize declined to take up Dr Abdullah Teituk, who had been transferred there.

"The vote (Jinja hospital) hereby advises that the officer (Teituk) be deployed to another facility as we do not have wage and post as of September 1, 2020," Tugumisirize wrote.

The doctors who have been bounced believe that the transfers were done without the necessary preparations.

Besides Jinja, New Vision has learnt that medics sent to Mbale, Mubende and Hoima were also rejected over lack of a budget to accommodate them.

Ministry, UMA respond

When contacted, Atwine promised to follow up on the matter once it is brought to her attention.

"The affected doctors usually appeal individually to the deployments committee, if they have a reason to have the transfer reconsidered. If they give a convincing reason, they can be left (at the duty station). But if the reasons they are giving are not convincing, the transfer is upheld. These are public servants who know the procedure," Atwine said.

On hospitals like Jinja that have declined to take up the doctor who was posted there, Atwine said she will follow up on the issue upon receiving the letter.

The Uganda Medical Association secretary-general, Dr Mukuzi Muhereza, said the health ministry's perception that they have free labour because other medics, like interns, can work, is wrong and it should change.

However, Muhereza said the issue of medics refusing to take up jobs upcountry should not arise, except in exceptional circumstances like when someone has enrolled for further education.

"Doctors should know that he who hires you can post you anywhere. For someone to say that they cannot go upcountry because they have a young family; that is not a genuine reason to decline a transfer. Our calling is to save lives anywhere in the country. You can go to Kisoro or Zombo because we are all Ugandans," Muhereza noted.

On regional hospitals rejecting doctors for lack of a vote to pay wages, Muhereza said there are many instances where districts return unutilised money meant for the health sector to the finance ministry.

"That money is sometimes meant to pay the unavailable consultants. So, it can be rechannelled to pay the available doctors. We are all doctors, the only difference is specialisation," he said.