President Museveni has directed that all medical doctors should be employed as soon as they qualify and emphasized that the government is fully committed to providing enhanced salaries not only to medical personnel but to all scientists.
“All the medical doctors should be employed by the government once they complete their studies,” said Museveni.
The President was Tuesday meeting a delegation of Uganda Medical Association led by their President, Dr. Sam Oledo.
The remarks come just days after doctors started an industrial action to pressurise the government to fulfill its commitments to improving salaries for medical personnel and their living conditions.
The doctors claimed their colleagues were unemployed after studies despite government allocating funds for the recruitment.
“The Ministry of Health should move forward with the program of employing more health personnel. The government is fully committed to personnel protection while they perform their duties,” said Museveni.
“We have the role of providing personal protection equipment. It is logical to provide the essential medical facilities as opposed to giving out risk allowances,” he added, making particular reference to the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic.
The President and the medical association discussed a wide range of issues aimed at improving health services in Uganda.
Mr. Museveni reiterated that the newly qualified medical doctors were assured of a salary of Ush 5 million per month with effect from the 2022 -2023 financial year and said there is no need to create friction while following up the matter of an enhanced salary.
President Museveni informed the delegation that today Uganda was enjoying stability because they are working under the policy of prioritization.
He reminded them that there was need to create a minimum base for stability.
The President said that the NRM Government would work out a system where the enhanced salaries would not be compromised by an unfriendly income tax policy and that the income tax policy would be revised so that the salaried workers are not disadvantaged.
President Museveni said that he would push to continue with the medical students and scientists being given priority of 70% of the scholarships in public universities and pledged to provide a facility of tax-free vehicles to medical doctors starting from the next financial year.
The President urged the doctors to work and ensure that they achieve the goal of preventing diseases noting, that it was more effective and affordable to take disease preventive measures and avoid the practice of waiting to attend to patients.
He said the government would work with the army to build institutional houses for the medical personnel.
The President of Uganda Medical Association, Dr. Sam Oledo thanked President Museveni for attending to their requests and him for his outstanding role especially towards eliminating Covid-19 and terrorism.
He thanked the President for establishing an effective ambulance service and observed that the President has scored big particularly in the elimination of malaria and the guinea worm.
