Doctors demand immediate resignation
Doctors under their umbrella body the Uganda Medical Association(UMA) are demanding for the immediate resignation of the Director Health Services Dr Henry Mwebasa for failure to manage the Health system in Uganda.
The doctors led by the President UMA Dr. Samuel Oledo addressed the media on Wednesday morning with placards explaining their demands and expressing disappointment in the government.
They claim that the Health officials at the Health Ministry have failed to fulfill their duties including full implementation of the Human resource policy and Resource Allocation to different government Health facilities.
Oledo says the Health Ministry recently returned over 80 billion shilling meant to recruit doctors to the treasury,ignoring the fact that over 60 percent positions are vacant.
“Why can’t the government fill up these 60 percent vacancies?and on that note,over 80 billion shillings was returned by the Ministry of Health back to the treasury which was meant to recruit doctors and yet we have few doctors to attend to patients.So who is failing who?’He wondered.
UMA is demanding that the government immediately advertises all the available vacancies to minimize the exploitation of health workers in hospitals.
“Do you realize that we have only 40 percent coverage of human resource in the health sector? We have only 1,834 doctors, including doctors, senior consultants, special grade doctors, yet we need 4800 doctors meaning the work meant to be handled by four doctors is handled by one.This is the reason we have long cues in hospitals because patients are waiting for one doctor in a health center, OPD or even a ward to handle over 200 patients with varying complications, “Oledo explained.
UMA is also demanding that the government meets its pledge to increase salaries for all intern doctors to 2.5 million shillings immediately,to pay all Senior Health officers both in public and private Universities,provide PPE in hospitals,Tax free vehicles for all doctors,payment of all families of health workers who died on duty.
Doctors demand immediate resignation
Oledo also says that since the Health Minister has faulted in meeting all these requirements,a resignation is in order.
“What we are doing involves both brain and physical abilities. Is the Ministry of Health doing its job? The director General who has failed to see the implementation of the HR policy and Resource Allocation to the different hospitals should resign.”
He has also demanded that Dr. Mwebasa immediately retracts a directive to all medical interns to vacate hospitals in one week.
“No intern in any government facility should leave any medical facilities ,remain where you are ,if the government fails to do this we have a court injunction prepared by our lawyers to ensure this uncouth treatment of doctors ends.Interns are not students,they are trained medical practitioners and working under supervision of senior colleagues for one year.”
He adds that no pre- intern will enter a hospital until their seniors are done with internship.
In a letter signed by Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director-General of Health Services, at the Ministry of Health, the striking medical interns were given one week to vacate government hospitals and look elsewhere to finalize their internship program.
The Ministry was planning to incorporate junior medical interns to start practice in government health facilities as their seniors had only two months to conclude training.
Compiled by Minah Nalule
