Gulu Hospital staff arrested over gross misconduct

POLICE | MISCONDUCT | HEALTH

GULU - A nurse attached to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital has been arrested on allegations of gross misconduct.

Clovis Kule’s arrest on Wednesday, by a team from the State House Health Monitoring Unit, came during a visit to the hospital and he was subsequently detained at Gulu Central Police Station.

Dr Stephen Ataro Ayella, the unit’s assistant director for the northern region, says Kule was arrested on Wednesday for alleged insubordination, chronic absence and not dressing in a work uniform at relevant times and also for going on an unsanctioned study leave.

“Kule is studying without approval, does not come for duty, there is insubordination, does not wear a uniform and comes to work when he wants. 

He was warned twice, even yesterday [Wednesday] when we called him, we went through a process of interrogating him, but his attitude is very bad. He was feeling so powerful that he is untouchable, so we decided to detain him in a Police cell,” he said.

“This is impunity. All of us are paid a salary, why must others work and others not work? Nobody is above the law, even the hospital director is answerable to a level above him,” he added.

Ayella made the remarks at the Gulu District Council hall on Thursday while presenting findings on their monitoring tour of Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.

The meeting was attended by district health officers from all Acholi sub-region districts and staff of the hospital.

Ayella said there is gross absenteeism observed in several departments including the laboratory, theatre, maternity, immunisation, medical records and dental among others.

He identified staff accused of chronic absenteeism as David Semugabi, Kabaka Agurini and Christopher Oyom who July 2022 to February 2023, signed in for only 55 of those days; all from the laboratory.

Ayella said many staff members took study leave without the sanction of the hospital administrators, noting that of the 14 staff on study leave, eight were unsanctioned.

He identified them as Lawrence Matata, Denis Opiyo, Clovis Kule, Joyce Abalo Odong, Mary Gloria Bahati, Nella Grace Aciro, Gerald Bua, Lydia Mbambu and Joan Mbabazi.

“Don’t build cliques. We are not cats and rats, let us avoid suspicion amongst us. Let us be good to our colleagues so that we work in unity as children from one man and woman and improve on service delivery,” he told the hospital staff.

Ayella noted that the overall findings were positive and they will work to see that they improve on the service delivery, adding that most of the hospital’s departments are being run by staff of the Gulu University Teaching Hospital due to inadequate human resources at the hospital.

Dr Paul Onek, the chairman of the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital board and Gulu DHO, said the board will meet with hospital staff to see that they improve service at the hospital.

He said they will also organise stakeholders’ meetings where the community will interact with the hospital staff for the betterment of service delivery.