MOH kicks out Covid 19 frontline workers
Health workers under their umbrella of Uganda Medical Association (UMA) are spitting fire after the Ministry of Health terminated the contracts of Covid 19 staff countrywide.
UMA has given the Ministry of Health an ultimatum of seven days to retract their statement or restore health workers permanently.
In a letter dated March 18, 2022, the Permanent Secretary Dr.Diana Atwine addresses all executive and hospital directors at National Referral Hospitals that staff working under the Emergence Response to Covid 19 unit should leave by March 30, 2022.
The letter further explains that the decision was reached at following financial constraints faced by the Ministry in addition to low Covid 19 cases.
Now UMA President, Dr. Samuel Oledo, says the notification was abrupt and has hit them by surprise denying the medics who have worked for over 2 years, chance to prepare for their next destination.
Oledo told our Galaxy FM reporter Rashidah Nakaayi that health workers fought tooth and nail to bring down a pandemic COVID-19 that has killed over 3000 persons yet today the Health Ministry rewards them with termination letters.
He says despite the termination, the health workers have not received salaries for the past five months and no risk allowances for six months. Oledo has given the MOH an ultimatum of seven days to retract their statement or restore health workers permanently.
“The president was very proud of them and praised them for the services done in fighting Covid 19 for over 2 years but they have been thrown out , we are giving the MOH seven days to reinstate the doctors permanently or we go to court and they have not looked at how many health workers died or those affected by the pandemic”He states
It should be remembered that December, 2021 the Health Service Commission validated Covid 19 staff countrywide.
Oledo says the government last year under the command of the President promised to gradually increase salaries, employ more staff, compensate families of doctors who succumbed to COVID-19 and restock hospitals with all the necessary PPE’s and technologies.
“We expect a correction, or else we shall be forced to review our strike over demands from May , Last year we met with the President and he promised to improve the emoluments among other things, “Oledo stated
Last year, striking,doctors under (UMA) unanimously agreed to resume normal operations after the government promised to improve their welfare. These include doctors, consultants, medical interns and pharmacists.
