UPC calls upon government to fulfill pledges to health workers

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda People’s Congress has asked the government to address the welfare of medical workers in the country in order to prevent strikes.

Medical doctors at government hospitals in Uganda under their umbrella association of Uganda Medical Association -UMA, are continuing their strike that started on the night of 21st November despite meeting President Museveni on 23rd November 2021, demanding better working conditions, a raise in salaries and health insurance.

According to UPC, the Lack of goodwill on the side of the government to fulfill earlier promises to the medical workers is the cause of the recurrent strikes by doctors and other medical workers.

President Museveni while addressing the nation in 2017 and in June 2021, said doctors’ salaries would be increased from 2.5 million Uganda shillings to 5 million shillings, a promise that has not yet been fulfilled prompting the ongoing strike by doctors.

Speaking to reporters at the party headquarters at Uganda House, Arach Oyat Sharon, the UPC party spokesperson said that the government should secure resources and allocate them to the health sector as quickly as possible so that the health workers execute their duties effectively.

According to Arach, the government should address the welfare of the medical workers through increasing their salaries, providing protective gear, and giving them their allowances on time.

The UPC spokesperson has also called upon the government and the ministry of health to set up canteens at the hospitals to cater for the lunch of the medical staff. This she says will ensure that doctors and nurses in government hospitals don’t ask for money for lunch from patients in order to treat them.

As a solution to the strikes, Arach has recommended that the negotiations between the government and the medical workers should be conducted as an open dialogue instead of closed door meetings to avoid each of the two parties coming out with different resolutions from the meetings and to ensure that the represented party’s views are well represented.

The strike continues as the doctors await the implementation of what was agreed upon in the meeting with the President.

In a statement dated November 23, 2021, Uganda Medical Association president Dr. Odongo Samuel Oledo, and secretary general Dr. Herbert Luswata, said that they will “await implementation of the key items agreed on” before calling off the strike.

“We are waiting for commitment from the government, implementation plan and tangible deliverables. Until then, we maintain the status quo in regards to the Industrial Action.”

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