Ndera Hospital has denied reports that it is abusing staff or deducting money in an unreasonable manner.
The management of the Ndera Psychiatric Hospital has denied reports that have been circulating on social media for days that some staff are being abused, having money deducted from their salaries in an unreasonable manner or being given disciplinary measures such as transfer.
This followed a message posted on the X website (formerly Twitter) by a person named Sam Kabera, who said that there is a money called “Staff Solidarity” that is being deducted from the salaries of some staff who have not voluntarily agreed to it. He also revealed that there is a way that some staff work overtime for long periods, and that some are even harassed about payment or rest for those hours and transferred elsewhere as punishment.
In a statement released by Ndera Hospital, its management said the reports were baseless, stressing that the “Staff Solidarity” program was established by the staff themselves as a way of supporting each other, and that it has its own rules and procedures.
The hospital management said that “Staff Solidarity was established as an idea of the staff, it is established by the staff themselves and is governed by the staff.”
Ndera Hospital also said that as a facility that provides health services around the clock, there are times when it is necessary for some staff to work extra hours so that patients can continue to receive the necessary care without interruption.
It explained that overtime is done according to the needs of the job and that it is done for the benefit of patients and the good functioning of the institution.
Regarding those who say that some are being transferred as a form of punishment, the management of Ndera Hospital denied this, saying that transferring an employee from one service to another or from one institution to another is a normal procedure for human resources management in the public sector.
It indicated that transferring an employee is done based on the benefits of the job rather than as a punishment, and that the relevant laws clearly define this.
Article 36 of Law nº 017/2020 of October 07, 2020 establishing the general statute governing public servants, states that the manager who assigned an employee to a position may transfer him to another position for the benefit of the job if the new position is comparable to the previous one.
There is also a Ministerial Decree nº 01/MIFOTRA/23 of June 13, 2023, concerning working hours and public employees subject to labor contracts, which provides that an employee who has worked overtime authorized by his/her superior shall be granted rest hours equal to those worked.
The decree also provides that these rest hours must be taken within a period not exceeding 30 days from the date of the overtime hours, and indicates that payment for these hours is not made in the public administration.
This occurs at a time when many discussions continue to appear on social media regarding the functioning of public institutions, the rights of employees and how labor problems should be resolved.
Some social media users have indicated that there should be continued dialogue between management and employees to avoid information that could cause controversy or confusion among the public.
Others say it is important that labor laws are better explained to all workers so that they know their rights and responsibilities at work.
Ndera Hospital is one of the largest mental health facilities in Rwanda, receiving patients from different parts of the country. It is a center that plays a major role in treating and helping those with mental health problems, which is why its performance is often closely monitored by the public. You can read also” The Battles in Julius Caesar“