Govt introduces performance contracts for health workers

LUDOVICK KAZOKA in Dodoma

IN a bid to improve accountability in public health facilities, the government has introduced performance contracts to public servants beginning this month.

The Minister of State in President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Mr George Simbachawene, said here yesterday that the performance contracts will be panacea for doctors who treat patients badly.

“The heads in public health facilities will now be demoted or promoted based on performance contract,” said the Minister while officially opening a workshop on integrity to District Medical Officers (DMOs) and Regional Medical Officers (RMOs).

Mr Simbachawene pointed out that the government came up with the performance contract following a number of complaints from members of the public over medics who treat them badly in some public health facilities.

“There have been a num ber of complaints from patients over abusive language by some doctors in our public health facilities,” observed the Minister.

Mr Simbachawene further pointed out that instead of disbursing funds for health services to municipalities, the government would from this fiscal year begin to deposit them into the accounts of health facilities to control delay or misuse.

“This is in line with the concept of decentralization by devolution as public health facilities are under citizens through the Health Facility Governing Committee,” explained the Minister.

Earlier, Chairman of Regional Medical Officers, Dr Donald Subi, urged the government to approve emergency permits to employ 7,304 health workers to address acute shortages of health workers.

He observed that the shortage of health workers increased after the removal of 3,439 public servants with forged academic certificates. “A total of 1,505 public health facilities have been left without Clinical Officers (COs) and Clinical Assistants (CAs) after the removal of 3,439 public servants with forged academic certificates in the health sector,” he said.

He added that a total of 285 public dispensaries have been left without any skilled medical worker, saying the dispensaries are now under medical attendants thus posing a serious challenge for provision of health services.

Dr Subi noted that a number of public health facilities without Medical Doctors have reached 1,790 in the country and that the shortage of medical workers stands at 49.5 per cent following the dismissal of public workers in the health sector.