Dr Samuel Tweheyo Kiroha, the District Health Officer-DHO of Kazo district has been interdicted for failing to respond to the corona virus alerts from the community and frustrating the presidential directives on combating the pandemic.
According to the letter authored by the District’s Chief Administrative Officer Leonard Tumusiime, the interdiction of the health officer follows communication from the Ministry of Local Government about the Health officer’s negligence of duty.
It is alleged that Dr Tweheyo was called to respond to corona virus alerts from patients and he failed to respond on account of lack of fuel. But according to the CAO, the DHO had all the necessary facilities including among others vehicles, fuel and facilitation to ensure that the alleged cases are attended to.
“Sadly, this happened when the nation has been hit by a disaster of #COVID and is grappling with measures to control the disease,” the CAO stated. He observed that as the Head of Health Services in the district, the DHO frustrated the presidential directive on the management of the pandemic. Uganda so far has 248 cases of #COVID-19, the majority of them recorded among truck drivers
Dr Tweheyo is barred from leaving the country without permission from the responsible officer and frequenting the office unless he is called to specify on issues that need his clarification. During this time, he will be paid half of his salary and his office will be managed by Bully Esther Kiden, the Assistant District Health Officer in charge of Maternal and Child health.
The DHO is one of the two doctors in Kazo District who can operate patients in the theater in case of any complication. His interdiction worsens an already stained health services in the district.
