Doctors blame Parliament and Ministries for the strike’s continuation.

Doctors from the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) have petitioned parliament to address the country’s dire health situation. They blame Parliament and government agencies for the ongoing strike, which has left many Ugandans without access to medical treatment.

The strike began on November 22 after the administration failed to keep many of the commitments made to doctors during a previous strike in 2017. Doctors demand the government to raise their pay to 5 million shillings, expand medical human resources, and compensate health workers who died from COVID-19.

The physicians have met with officials from many government departments, Members of Parliament, and President Yoweri Museveni, who has issued a series of instructions in response to the demands since the strike began.

The President requested that the Ministries of Health, Finance, and the Prime Minister’s Office compensate all doctors who died as a result of COVID-19, hire more doctors to close the 60 percent employment gap in the health sector, ensure a 10% tax reduction for health workers, enforce salary increments for doctors, and procure vehicles for consultant physicians.

The president also ordered that funds allocated to the National Medical Stores be raised in order to ensure that the country has enough pharmaceuticals and supplies. The government was also told to release the four billion shillings for the physicians’ SACCO, as well as car tax exemptions for doctors.

However, the directions have not been executed, and the physicians are now wondering why parliament appears to be dragging its feet on the issue, which will result in the strike being called off.

They also want the health ministry, the finance ministry, and all other government departments to begin executing the presidential directions.

Dr. Samuel Oledo Odongo, President of the Uganda Medical Association, believes that Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among should summon a special session of parliament to address the doctors’ requests so that they can return to work. The demand came during a news conference held today to commemorate the 14th day of the continuing strike.

The leadership of the group emphasized that the sluggish implementation of presidential instructions affects more than just doctors. President Museveni requested earlier this year that funds be given to raise the pay of medical interns who assist in the administration of the health system.

Doctors and medical interns’ leaders have stated that they will not return to work until the government meets all of their requests, as authorized by the president. Patients at various health facilities across the country are bearing the brunt of the strike.

Several pregnant mothers were stuck at Kawempe National Referral Hospital, which specializes in gynaecology and obstetrics, last week, and several of them informed URN that they were not attended to despite arriving at the hospital as early as 6:30 a.m. Dr. Oledo encouraged parliamentarians to put an end to the suffering of Ugandans they represent.

The Koboko Municipality Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Dr Charles Ayume, told URN that they want to meet with the UMA leadership next week to discuss the ongoing strike.