Nurses demand better pay, full recognition
The president of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union, Cherop Justus Kipalangat, has said nurses should be involved in the policy formulation in abid to improve on their welfare in the country.
Kipalangat said nurses play a big role to save the lives of people worldwide therefore their services need to be appreciated and recognised.
"They don't appreciate whatever we are doing. Nobody talks about us," he said.
He made the remarks during the celebration of the international Day of the Nurses that took place at the unions' office in Mulago.
He also asked government to fully recognise the contribution of nurses in the medical sector.
"Whenever they are addressing health workers they only mention doctors, whenever you see salary increment in newspapers, only doctors' money is increased forgetting about nurses.We also need to be well paid,"said Kipalangat.
The Assistant Commissioner, Nursing at the ministry of Health, Agness Chandia, told nurses that the world has already witnessed their contribution at the medical frontline across the world.
She said the issues of allowances and pay is being worked upon by the ministry encouraging all the nurses to continue with the good work.
"It is just because of the busy schedule and this is the most difficult time but the senior top officials are trying to look at how to resolve these issues of allowances among others,"she said.
Doris Okudinia, the nurse whose picture went viral on social media wheeling a patient to Arua regional referral hospital was also awarded the nurse of the year accolade at the celebrations.
