ACENG: Salary increment yet to reflect in better health services

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng has said that the increment of salary for health workers is yet to reflect better services.

Last year, the government increased the salary of medical workers by 100 percent.

A senior medical consultant earns 17.4 million shillings up from 7.3 million shillings, a medical consultant 12.7 million shillings, and a principal medical officer 8 million up from 4.5 million shillings. An enrolled nurse bags 1.3 million up from 613,000 shillings.

Speaking at the seventh Grand Doctors Conference and Annual General Meeting, Aceng noted that most health workers have used their salaries to set up private businesses. She said that the health workers spend most of their time attending to their personal work leaving patients unattended to in hospitals.

She also added that the Ministry recently undertook a restructuring exercise where they opened up to all existing and non-existing specialties to accommodate and avoid losing potential specialists who train outside and come into the country.

However Dr. Herbert Luswata, the Secretary General of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) noted that it is too early to measure the impact of the salary increment. He added that there are health workers who are working hard because of the increased salary.

Janet Museveni, the Minister of Education and Sports in a speech read by Aceng said that her ministry is working toward standardizing the quality of education and training in universities and health institutions after an outcry from the public.

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