The district health officer in Amuria, Eastern Uganda has warned that “appalling” staffing levels means the area’s health centres are struggling to cope in the face of overwhelming patients numbers.
The staffing level for the health sector in the district stands at 37%. Dr. Silver Eumu, the district health officer, says this has affected health service delivery.
“The staffing levels are appalling and the district has advertised but does not have a district service commission, which is responsible for recruitment of staff”, Dr. Eumu said.
Eumu revealed that some district health units are being manned by lone health personnel, yet the number of patients is overwhelming. He attributes the delay in filling the gaps to the lack of a district service commission.
The Health Management Information (HMIS) records available show the major
cause of sickness in the district is malaria, constituting around 54% of the cases handled at health units. This is followed by acute respiratory infection (without pneumonia), which is responsible for up to 15% of cases.
The other common illnesses, with the percentage of cases, are non bloody diarrhoea (8%), intestinal worms (6%), general trauma (5%), skin infections (3%), eye infections (3%), uterine tract infection (3%), ear infections (1%) and bloody diarrhoea (1%).
