In light of the ongoing controversy surrounding the strike by medical doctors under their umbrella body, Uganda Medical Association (UMA), shouldn’t those who affirm to the Christian faith continue to stand up for the vulnerable, attend and show compassion to patients whether government responds to their grievances or not?
Should their be a significant difference between the rhetoric of Christian and non-Christian medics?
Uganda Medical Association (UMA) president Dr Ekwaro Obuku told medical doctors that the strike started Monday and will only be called off only if government answers their demands, which include raising their salaries and related remunerations.
This development comes days since President Museveni allegedly “threatened to declare a state of emergency and arrest Doctors in public hospitals if they down their tools.”
Unlike UMA, the Uganda Medical Workers Union and the Uganda Nurses and the MidWife Union told Journalists on Friday they will not be part of this strike, according to the Secretary-General of the Uganda Medical Workers Union Aggrey Sanya.
“Medical Association’s move did not go through the right channels,” Aggrey stated.
What do the UMA medics want?
-Reviewed salaries to see an intern doctor earn Shs8.5million as opposed to the current Shs960,000 before tax.
-Medical officer or teaching assistant to be paid Shs15 million and accorded a two-bedroom house and a 2.5cc vehicle.
-A senior consultant doctor or professor to have highest pay with a gross salary of Shs48m plus allowances. This should be accompanied by a five-bedroom house, 4.0cc vehicle, and three domestic workers.
-Salaries for nurses and midwives enhanced to about Shs6.5 million, accompanied with a three-bedroomed house, 2.0cc vehicle and one domestic worker.
-State House Health Monitoring Unit disbanded and replaced with an empowered legally established health professional councils.
