By Lodu William Odiya
The Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Aniin Ngot Ngot Mou has warned all the Directors General in the ten states and the three administrative areas of mismanagement and unnecessary dismissal of health workers.
In a statement obtained by this outlet, Dr. Ngot noted that recently, the ministry had noticed there had been instance of health workers being relived of their duties without proper authorization.
“No health worker whether a county health director, county medical officer, medical director or hospital employee should be dismissed or relieved from duties without prior written approval from the ministry of health” Dr. Ngot stated in a statement.
He emphasized the Ministry recognizes the critical role the health professionals play in delivering essential services to the communities stating unnecessary dismissal threatens the stability and quality of this nation’s health system.
“Any uncoordinated or politically motivated dismissals or attempts to relieve or terminate health workers will threaten the stability and quality of our health system and undermine our collective efforts in providing care” Dr. Ngot underlined.
Dr. Ngot underscored to promote an efficient and fair human resource framework, all state leadership should coordinate directly with the ministry of health before making any decisions relating to the dismissal, termination, suspension or replacement of any health staff.
“The Ministry of Health remains the only authority that can approve the termination or relief of any health worker in the service” he stated.
He advised the pollical post holders to refrain from unilateral decisions regarding human resources for health management in the health sector.
Dr. Ngot underscored his ministry welcomes open communication and encouraged state leadership to consult and collaborate with the health sector to address human resource challenges constructively and transparently.
“Let us work together to ensure that our health system remains stable, professional and focused on serving the people” he said.
Dismissal of health workers without notice is typically reserved for cases of gross misconduct, as defined by the Labour law, even in such cases, procedural fairness is often required.
South Sudan’s Labor laws aim to protect workers from discrimination based on certain characteristics.