Lira health workers vow to down tools over salaries   

According to the assistant district health officer of Lira, Edmond Aceka, the HCMS has failed and rejected a few titles of the health workers..

Lira – September 4, 2022: Failure by the government to address the current challenge in one week, a group of health workers in Lira district have vowed to lay down their tools with effect from September 12 2022.

TND News understands that some hitches in the Human Capital Management System (HCMS) have prevented the payment of many health workers for months.

The system is a new technology that transforms the traditional administrative functions of human resources (HR) departments; recruiting, training; payroll, compensation, and performance management into opportunities to drive engagement, productivity, and business value.

Health workers from Amac, Ogur, Onywako and Barlongo have on Thursday, September 1, 2022 castigated the competence of the system.

Rashid Etup Mwesigye, the vector control officer of Lira district, said they have not been paid for almost two months since enrollment in the new system. He cited irregularities in the system, adding it “could have been jeopardized.”

Etup also said the delay in their salaries coupled with the harsh economic times is pressing them a lot, calling upon the ministry of public service to address the issue before it goes off hand.

He wants the system abolished.

According to the assistant district health officer of Lira, Edmond Aceka, the HCMS has failed and rejected a few titles of the health workers like the senior nursing officer, which he says has to be addressed.

Aceka further said the delay in salaries has affected over 120 health workers in the district, which has since paralyzed the health system.

“We are now going to register maternal death, paternal death and other related deaths by which will not be a clean record for the district as a whole,” Aceka added.

Pius Omac, a medical officer, said the delay in salaries has been a challenge to him for two years since he joined Lira district local government. He revealed that he has received salaries for only six months with no retention allowances.

He also noted that the health team is very crucial to the country, calling upon the district chairperson to make a quick follow-up.

Lira district LCV chairperson, Richard Cox Okello Orik, said the Human Capital Management System has not only affected the health workers but also the other civil servants, including the senior citizens more than half of them have not received their salaries.

Orik also questioned the competence of the HCMS since so many workers have been missing salaries, describing it as a “stupid system”.

“How can it fail to recognize the whole district chairperson,” said Okello Orik.

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