By Our Reporter.
Uganda Media Association (UMA) leadership claims some officials in Health Ministry are working to sabotage plans for increasing doctors’ salaries.
In bid to renew their demands the health workers have issued a new ultimatum to government to effect their pay rise.
Officials said they suspended their strike last year after government agreed that their salaries and other allowances would be increased in the next financial year.
Uganda Medical Association President Dr Samuel Odongo Oledo, said they were informed that the Health Ministry had not submitted budget for the salary increment of doctors and other health workers.
He said there had been different engagements, adding that they hope the budget for 2022/2023, doctors’ and other health workers’ weelfare would be included.
” This is to pass a painful statement that come May 1, 2022, if our directives are not included in the budget framework, doctors will have no option but to go for a full national industrial action,” he said.
Dr Odongo said that Ministry of Finance made it clear that Health Ministry had not yet submitted the budget.
He said: ” We expect the Ministry of Health to work with Ministry of Finance in making sure they submit the budget for welfare, and drugs of the doctors and hospitals.”.
Dr Odongo said some officials at the Ministry of Health are working to sabotage the Presidential directive, adding they would want increase salaries over the next five years as has been done in the past.
He said: Currently we are on operation save Ugandan lives and the foot soldiers on the ground to carry out this operation are the doctors and health workers.”
The UMA official said there should be no impediment to the doctors and health workers whose welfare where 10 percent PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is expected on this money..
Dr Odongo said taxing of allowances at only 10 percent was agreed upon with President Yoweri Museveni, and the Head of State directed that starting from July 2021, all doctors’ allowances would be taxed 10 percent and not 30 percent as has been the case.
“I was informed that the private “not for profit hospitals” including Nsambya Hospital and Naguru hospital gave 10 percent taxation in implementing presidential directives. Such directors ought to be put in different government offices because they know what it means to implement a presidential directive,” he said.
Dr Odongo said as UMA they , remain optimistic that the Health Ministry will address their demands with the urgency it befits following the presidential directives and effect the pay-rise as agreed.
“We request the Parliamentary Health Committee, and the Parliamentary Budget Committee to treat our case with urgency and ensure if is prioritised on the Budget Paper Framework for 2022/2023, to be effected in full as was directed by the President, and not in a phased manner as has been stated by some government Officials,” he said.
During a Press conference Dr Odongo told journalists that it is strange that 2,000 positions for doctors have remained vacant in different government health facilities in the country, which he said must be filled.
doctors are being overworked because there is a shortage of staff but was shocked to learn Ministry of Health continues to return unspent money meant for recruitments to the treasury.
According to UMA more than 80 doctors died and the vacancies have never been filled up. There are 2,000 vacancies of doctors not occupied in the country.
Meanwhile UMA General Secretary Dr Herbert Luswata said they are going to carry out a countrywide survey on Covid-19 effects on medical workers to ascertain impact of the pandemic..
He said:”We would like to get a proper picture of the situation then come out with appropriate recovery measures for medical practitioners in the country”■
