Museveni offers Shs5m as start-pay for doctors

President Museveni meets doctors recently.

What you need to know:

  • According to the source who attended the meeting in Dr Rugunda’s office, government also promised to set up a committee to draft an internship policy and a policy on senior house officers within 30 days. Dr Rugunda declined to divulge details about the proceedings of the government-doctors meeting.
  • Daily Monitor has learnt that UMA received a written document from government committing to fulfill their demands but Dr Obuku said its contents will be discussed at their general assembly expected on Friday.

President Museveni has offered Shs5m as a starting salary for medical doctors and other scientists in the new deal to defuse the ongoing doctors’ strike and check high brain drain afflicting Uganda’s human resource.

The decision followed back-to-back negotiations between government and the striking medical doctors to end their industrial action that is in its third week.
According to a statement issued by the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) spokesperson, Dr Fauz Kavuma, the association’s national executive committee met Cabinet two times on November 19 and November 20 and agreed on some issues.

Daily Monitor was informed that on Monday afternoon, a government team led by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and 10 UMA representatives agreed on some of the doctors’ demands, which government is expected to communicate in a written document. The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s office.
Later on Monday evening, another meeting of only the government side was held at State House. A source who attended said President Museveni directed the Public Service and Finance ministries to ensure the doctors’ earnings are competitive. The current starting salary for a medical doctor is Shs1.1m.

“He directed Finance and Public Service to ensure that salary for doctors and other scientists is competitive within the region to stop the brain-drain, adding that beginning salary should be Shs5m for a medical officer,” the official, who preferred anonymity, said.
The President had earlier, in his letter to UMA president Dr Ekwaro Obuku before the doctors announced their strike this month, proposed Shs5m as minimum pay for a medical doctor.

The doctors had earlier suggested Shs15m as a starting salary for a medical officer, besides allowances.
However, according to the salary proposals of the government’s Salary Review Commission, a medical officer, who falls under Scale U4, would earn 2.2m as opposed to the current Shs1.1m.
According to the source who attended the meeting in Dr Rugunda’s office, government also promised to set up a committee to draft an internship policy and a policy on senior house officers within 30 days. Dr Rugunda declined to divulge details about the proceedings of the government-doctors meeting.

“Government is in contact with the doctors; there is good progress being achieved and we expect their industrial action to end soon. Let’s not go into speculations,” he said by telephone yesterday.
However, Daily Monitor has learnt that UMA received a written document from government committing to fulfill their demands but Dr Obuku said its contents will be discussed at their general assembly expected on Friday.