Doctors asked to be patient, put their calling first
By Tony Abet
The ministry of health has asked doctors not to go ahead with their planned strike today saying they should put patients first.
Emmanuel Aiyenbyoona, the ministry spokesperson says the issues raised by the Uganda Medical Association are being handled.
He says a supplementary budget to implement the presidential directive is being processed after being passed by parliament.
Doctors under their umbrella body, UMA said in a statement yesterday that their strike starts effective midnight because it is the language govt seems to understand.
The doctors had in an August 6th letter asked government to increase their salary, improve physical infrastructure in public health facilities such as intensive care units and avail more ambulances for covid case management, among other demands.
In their statement, the doctors said until the above demands are met industrial action will be their only form of negotiation as per the constitution and relevant labor laws.
President Museveni had in a separate meeting in June at State House Entebbe told doctors that each of them would get Shs 5m as a starting salary from July, reaffirming his earlier position.
Currently, a medical officer earns Shs 3m and senior consultant Shs 7.3m.
In an earlier agreement with the medical workers, president Museveni had agreed to pay professors Shs 15m, senior medical consultants Shs 17m, lecturers Shs 12.2m and doctors Shs 5m.
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