HOIMA, UGANDA: Hoima District medical professionals have joined the rest of the Medical workers national wide to protest the government’s failure to increase their salary and improving their welfare. These include; Doctors, Nurses, Medical Interns, midwives, consultants, and Pharmacists.
According to Uganda Medical Association (UMA) at least more than 1850 workers employed in various public health facilities national wide are taking part in the protest.
Dr. Denis Bitamazire a surgeon at Hoima Referal Hospital and a member of UMA says, the strike is to affect health service delivery but as medics, they have no option but to lay down their tools until when government fulfills their demand.
“We are aware that this protest will affect medical service delivery since there will be no medics to attend the patients in public health facilities but we shall not turn back until our demands are fulfilled,” Said Dr. Bitamazire.
According to Dr. Bitamazire, UMA wants government to restock all health facilities with medical supplies and increase wages for all medical workers.
UMA had proposed to increase salary for inter medical doctors the lowest from 960000/= to 12.5 million Uganda shilling and senior consultant doctors from 3.4 million shillings to 48 million Uganda shilling. The union also wants additional housing and transportation for all medical professionals.
According to Dr. Samuel Odong Oludo the president of Uganda Medical Association, for the past four years, medics have tried to engage relevant ministries and government departments to discuss with them the issue but instead government have been making empty promises.
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