By Stephen Kalema
Junior doctors, nurses and pharmacists have asked President Museveni for a salary increment and also to be considered.
Speaking at the third Grand Doctor’s Conference at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala on Saturday night, the president of Uganda Medical Interns, Dr. Joel Mirembe, asked President Museveni to consider them also since they are the first approached foot soldiers in the health sector of Uganda
“Mr President, junior doctors, nurses and pharmacists are the frontline, core doctors in all government regional hospitals and national hospitals. They are on duty 24/7 working for 36 hours nonstop in in a bid to save the life of a common Uganda. However, they have not been considered in the salary structure as you promised other doctors,” said Dr Mirembe.
According to Dr. Mirembe, junior doctors have been neglected yet they are the most approachable in all health facilities of Uganda, 80 per cent of them walk long distances at night and have in the process been assaulted, raped. This has made others to run for greener pastures after their recommendations leading to stunted number of doctors in Uganda.
Dr. Mirembe reminded the President that during the 2017 public servants salary increment, junior doctors, nurses and pharmacists were forgotten.
“Your Excellency we have been neglected, the monthly pay of shs760,000 is below the basic pay and a mockery to a doctor who presents himself fully to patient every hour.”
Their demand for salary increase has come in time when the Uganda Medical Association has just thanked government for the increase of their salaries and promised to avoid absenteeism at work.
In October while President Museveni was commissioning the new specialized women hospital in Mulago, he ordered for the increase of salaries for all scientist starting from the lower levels.
In reference to the above, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng asked the junior doctors, nurses and pharmacists to hold on and focus on what they are doing as Parliament looks for a way of increasing their remuneration. “We all see what you going through but I plead you focus on and change the attitude very soon we are going to work on your issues, the increase of salaries the president promised is going to be implemented in a phased manner and even junior doctors, nurses and pharmacists are included,” said Aceng.
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