Dedza HSAs urged to maintain professionalism

Dedza District Environmental Health Officer (DEHO), Honoratus Kadyampakeni, has advised Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) in the district to maintain discipline and professional conduct in the course of their duties.

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He made the sentiments on Friday during an environmental health review meeting for 2024 that aimed at presenting the performance of the Expanded Programme in Immunisation (EPI), hygiene and sanitation promotion mainly Cholera disease prevention and control.

On professional conduct, Kadyampakeni said the health workers must avoid indulging in political issues as the country is scheduled to conduct General Elections on September 16, 2025, and should avoid beer drinking during working hours and instead concentrate on their work.

“As civil servants, health workers must be neutral and should not take part in politics as it brings tension between them (health workers) and the political leaders in the areas they are working.

“You are also required to concentrate on your job and avoid taking alcohol during working hours because it is not only irresponsible but it is also against the civil service rules and regulations,” he added.

On the performance of the district in cholera prevention and hygiene promotion, Kadyampakeni commended the HSAs for working hard to promote hygiene and sanitation in 2023/2024 a development that helped Dedza district to register only three confirmed cases of Cholera all from Mozambique as compared to 2022/2023 which saw the district cumulatively registering 2,250 confirmed cases with 80 deaths.

Speaking on behalf of fellow HSAs, Senior Health Surveillance Assistant for Dedza District Health Office, Moses Joshua, described the meeting as crucial as it helped the health workers to review how they are supposed to perform to serve the communities well.

“It was a platform for us to improve in terms of how we perform as health workers,” he said.

Commenting on Kadyampakeni’s advice, Joshua reminded his fellow health workers to know why government sent them to the areas where they are working.

“Politics will just compromise our work so we have taken note of this caution. There have indeed been some cases of health workers actively participating in politics but we need to know that we are sent to serve the people in the community,” he said.

The review meeting brought together Senior Health Surveillance Assistants from all 37 health centres in the district.