Dissatisfied health workers under the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union-UNMU have threatened to lay down their tools over unpaid COVID-19 vaccination allowances.

The frustrated nurses say those involved in the COVID-19 vaccination exercise say have not received allowances for over one week now and are uncertain when the money will come.

The nurses carrying out the ongoing vaccination exercise are entitled to a daily allowance of five thousand shillings, 5000/=monthly which comes through the Ministry of Health.

A nurse, who on condition of anonymity, says they are suffering a lot  because they have to dig into their own pockets for to provide lunch and transport .She adds that on bad days, they are forced to work on an empty stomach after walk long distances to vaccination centers.

‘’They were saying they want to give 5000 per day, people were thinking the sun, the stay the work, transport, we are suffering the period that has passed from when they said they would give us allowance , nothing has happened.’’

This condition has obliged the President of Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union, Kiplangat Cherop to engage officials at the Ministry of health and a meeting has been scheduled for Monday .

Kiplangant has encouraged health workers to continue working in the meantime while they pursue a way forward from the Health Ministry.

‘’We are handling it on Monday, we are having meetings with the Ministry,we have told nurses to continue working while we advocate for them. Where it is difficult, we may tell them to stay home but for now let them continue working until we come up with an answer.’’


However ,  Dr. Alfred Driwale, the head of the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization-UNEPI says Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and division health centers are responsible for the nurses.  

‘’Go to KCCA those are the ones who own the nurses , they will tell you the story,talk to the nurses and their bosses.’’

So far, the country has administered 2.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines against a targeted population of 22 million Ugandans.