Doctors urged to return to work until May 2022 as gov’t handles their demands

Medical workers under their umbrella association of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) have been urged to suspend their industrial action until May 2022.

UMA president, Dr. Oledo Samuel Odongo, made this plea while addressing the press on Wednesday.

In his remarks, Odongo said that they have decided to suspend the strike in order to give government ample time to work on its pledges during this period.

“Our dear colleagues, the nurses, the clinical officers, the radiologists and the diagnostic areas, I do pass this message to us, please, starting from 00:00 hours later today, let every health worker be back to their places of work,” Odongo said.

Odongo urged patients not to shun hospitals and health centres, saying that all medical workers will be back to work.

“Our Christmas shall be in the hospitals, so Ugandans please, don’t run away from the facilities, all health workers shall be in the hospitals to give a service,” he added.

Last week, Minister for ICT amd National Guidance Dr. Chris Baryomunsi hosted representatives from UMA and the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI) and assured them the government is fully committed to meet their demands.

Like the medical interns, doctors also want government to enhance their salaries to shs 5 million, and according to Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, these demands will be met.

The doctors also demand that government fulfils all the directives of President Museveni following their meeting in November, 2021.

The President also directed that the P.A.Y.E on the salaries of doctors be reduced from 30 percent to 10 percent.

Museveni also said that families of the doctors who succumbed to Covid-19 were also supposed to be facilitated according to the Presidential directive, but this, according to Odongo, has not been implemented.

Speaking to the press, Odongo said that they have agreed to go back to work and if the issues are not resolved by May 2022, they will announce another industrial action.

Some doctors have been hesitant to return to work before their demands are met, something had brought division amongst them but Odongo said that they will continue engaging with their members to ensure that work resumes.