Gov’t asked to pay health workers who lost jobs during lockdown

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council has asked the government to pay salaries for private hospital staff who were laid off during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The council made the statements while appearing before Parliament’s National Economy Committee to discuss the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the health sector today. Although it is not clear how many health workers lost their jobs during the pandemic, the council says that the numbers are high and that those affected need to be supported.

For instance in Mukwaya general hospital along the Kampala-Ggaba road, only 22 out of a workforce of 80 people are currently working. The rest have been laid off according to the Hospital director Ben Kiwanuka.

Prof Joel Okullu, the Chairperson of the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council says that most of the private health facilities had no choice but to lay off some of the health workers while others have closed as a result of the lockdown which affected their operations.

The Medical Council also proposed that the government provides soft loans to enable the health professionals invest in facilities that can provide sustainable services.

They have also called for tax waivers to prospective investors both local and international especially those who are manufacturing health supplies. According to the council, prices of medical supplies have gone up with some items like handheld thermometers or thermos guns fluctuating from 150,000 before COVID-19 and 1 million Shillings now.

They propose that the transportation of medical workers should be made easier by exempting doctors from taxes on car purchases but also through the issuance of travel permits for doctors.

They also propose that in the long term, the government should fully equip the Intensive Care Units, deliberately address the shortage of health workers among others. On opening of schools, the council warns against reopening saying it is impossible to control a large number of school children.

They have equally asked the Parliament to expedite the passing into law of the National Health Insurance Scheme Bill, saying if passed into law, the funds generated from the scheme will be put back in the health system and reduce the repeated borrowing for health projects.

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