Government seals deal to hire 200 Cuban doctors, each to get Shs 5.4 million per month

Government has finalised plans to hire 200 Cuban medical doctors with the intent of filling the gap of inadequate medical specialists in the country, the minister of Public Service, Muruli Mukasa revealed yesterday.

Appearing before the parliamentary committee on Health, Muruli Mukasa and the State Minister for General Health Sarah Opendi confirmed the move saying a government team travelled to Cuba three weeks ago to finalise the deal.

The Cuban doctors shall be deployed in regional referral hospitals where there is a shortage of specialists, the ministers said.

Muruli Mukasa said: In many regional referral hospitals, there are no specialists because our doctors don't want to go there."

He said each of the doctors will be paid $1500 per month which is roughly Shs 5.4 million.

Local doctors earn between Shs 1 million to 4.5 million depending on experience and specialisation.

However some MPs on the committee opposed the move suggesting that government should instead empower local doctors.

The initial plan to hire Cuban doctors first came to the limelight during the period of industrial action by Ugandan medics last year.