President Museveni has tasked the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) and the Ministry of Health to identify key capital investments such as medical and diagnostic Equipment needed in the treatment of Ugandans rather than reiterate their positions on salary.
In a statement issued Monday, by the President’s Principle Private Secretary (PPS), Ms Molly Kamukama, Museveni argues that buying necessary equipment is easily done as compared to expenditures on salaries.
“His Excellency also tasked the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Educations and Sports to work with with the UMA to identify key capital investments such as medical and diagnostics equipment needed in the treatment of our people. Capital Investments are a one-time expenditure and can therefore be done more easily than recurrent expenditures like salaries,” the statement reads in part.
Museveni also suggest a phased approach of prioritizing doctors pay, starting with lower ranked medical officers going upwards.
“Salary enhancement should start with the lower cadres first, so that nurses for example can take home a minimum package in range of Shs600,000, subject to discussions and recommendations of the salary review commission. The entry level salary for a medical officer could be Shs 5million,” the statement continues.
Medical workers under their umbrella body Uganda Medical workers Association (UMA), during a General meeting on Monday agreed to start their industrial action until government looks into their welfare demands.
As part of their demands, the doctors want government to review salaries which will see an intern doctor have a raised income from the current Shs960,000 before tax to Shs8.5million.
UMA also wants a medical officer or teaching assistant to be paid Shs15 million and accorded a two-bedroom house and a 2.5cc vehicle.
They also propose that a senior consultant doctor or professor be the highest paid health worker with a gross salary of Shs48m plus allowances. These will be accompanied with a five-bedroom house, 4.0cc vehicle, and three domestic workers.
The doctors also want salaries for nurses and midwives enhanced to about Shs6.5 million together with a three-bedroomed house, 2.0cc vehicle and a domestic worker.
Background
The Uganda Medical association held and extra ordinary meeting on the 9th October 2017 coinciding with Uganda’s 55thIndependence anniversary and decided to give government up to 30 days to address their demands or go on industrial action.
