The health workers were awarded for innovative leadership and working under difficult conditions.
The Ministry of Health has launched an annual leadership awards scheme to motivate health workers countrywide to provide quality healthcare.
The awards are also meant to celebrate health workers who come up with innovations to provide quality healthcare under unsuitable working environments. The Pauline Muhuhu Awards are sponsored by the US government through Intra Health International, an NGO working to improve health care provision and working environments for health workers.
Appeal
Speaking at the launch of the awards recently, Mr Pape Gaye, the president Intra Health international, said the government should start recognising and rewarding health workers, saying most times their efforts, however little, save lives yet the working environments around them are unfavorable.
“Most times government concentrates on building health facilities forgetting the health worker. We must ensure that there are health workers at the health facility with the required training ready to work,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, Ms Leslie Reed the director USAID mission in Uganda, urged the government to ensure that resources are directed towards the intended purpose and safeguard against graft. “I would be disheartened if these health funds are stolen or abused such as reported in the Auditor General’s special investigation into office of the Prime minister in which Shs28 million meant to facilitate a workshop for health workers to address influenza pandemic in 2010 was unaccounted for,” she said.
Four health workers were recognised and awarded for the various roles they played in healthcare provision.
