Legislators demand better pay for medics

Members of Parliament have expressed dissatisfaction over the poor pay for medical workers in the country.

They noted that poor remuneration of medical personnel had been resounding for long without any major government intervention.

This followed a petition to the House from the Uganda Medical Association over the poor remuneration of medical workers. The petition was presented by Hon. Christine Mutambi (Mbarara).

Mutambi said that it has been long since the remuneration of medical workers was revised and therefore, does not fit the current economic situation.

“The prevailing situation in the health sector is dire, largely due to the poor pay that negatively affects the morale of medical workers; it has led to brain drain,” she said.

Hon. William Nzoghu (Busongora North) said in the Ninth Parliament, the Prime Minister committed that Government would consider the plight of health workers but that this did not happen.

“He was supposed to come back to Parliament to tell us how Government was going to consider the plight of the health workers especially with the low pay; we have pushed this issue for too long yet people are dying because of no medical workers,” Nzoghu added.

Hon. Jack Wamanga Wamai (Mbale Municipality) said that Parliament resolved to direct government to act on the plight of medical workers. He noted however that government did not give due consideration to the matter.

“We need a report on the current status of the conditions in which medical workers operate and the steps taken by government to respond to the poor remuneration,” he said.

The Government Chief Whip, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa said that Cabinet was discussing the matter with a plan to execute a rise in the salaries across the board for all public servants including medical doctors.

“We want to have balanced remuneration because there have been widespread complaints about salaries from other people like teachers. Therefore, government promises to prepare a response on the matter,” Nankabirwa said.

The Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, ruled that the House had discussed the matter on several occasions and demanded for a report from the sector Minister within a week.