About 1,039 ghost nurses were discovered on the nurses payroll.
These names were discovered during last week’s payment of nurses’ lunch allowances.
147 ghost health workers received the the clearance under the cluster of nurses working under the Uganda Police, 40 from Ntungamo and 40 from Jinja districts.
Others were from Adjumani, Bunyangabu, Kasese, Kanungu and Kamwengye districts.
The revised allowances saw qualified nurses who have been getting Ugx 3000 a day to Ugx 15,000 daily.
Assistant nurses were also raised from Ugx 2,000 to Ugx 10,000 a day.
About Ugx 70B was budgeted for these allowances yearly.
The PS in the ministry of public service Catherine Birakwate Musingwire gave the accounting officers in the indicated districts an ultimatum to hand in an explanation not later than August 15.
“You are requested to explain in writing by 15th August, 2021 the circumstances under which the attached employees were enrolled onto the lunch allowance earned over the years should also be attached.” Birakwate ordered.
She also revealed that over 1,000 workers ghost nurses have been receiving the money yet they are not health workers and don’t work in any health facility.
However the Jinja district CAO William Kanyesigge said that while Jinja was named among those districts with many ghost workers, it was done accidentally.
He added that they will meet on Monday with the concerned officials to iron out the error.
Kanyesigye said that unlike the 40 ghost beneficiaries indicated there is only one irregular recipient who has been discovered as a teacher in the district.
For Ntungamo district, Nasser Mukiibi the CAO said that the 20 indicated ghost workers are not health workers but rather support staff in the health department working as typists and cleaners.
According to the Nurses and Midwifery Council, Uganda has 70167 registered nurses and midwives.