Be aware of laws and protocols, says Sungi

PUBLIC servants must be aware of the law and protocols when contesting general elections to ensure they return to office if their candidacy is unsuccessful.
Public Service Minister Joe Sungi was responding to a complaint in regards to the 40 doctors who were laid off after contesting the 2022 General Election (GE22).
He said a proper resignation process would have saved them from losing their jobs permanently.
“There is only one law that we public servants serve under, and most of the doctors who contested did not sign formal resignations before they left for the elections,” he said.
“That is why at this stage we cannot do anything in the formal processes to bring them back.”
Sungi said it was an individual’s choice to contest the election and each contestant should bear responsibility for their own decision.
“This is a wake-up call to the (department’s) human resource management (HRM) to make sure that the entrance and exit of officers are accommodated under the law,” he said.
“Our (DPM’s) job is to support the HRM and build their capacity where they are.”
Sungi also said that the provincial health authorities should be run by medically qualified officers who fully understood issues a hospital faced and to provide solutions.