Harmonise health professionals pay

The health sector is critical in the livelihood of citizens, hence the development of the country. As such, anything that distorts the sector’s effective operation should be identified and urgently addressed. 

With Uganda registering increasing Covid-19 deaths and cases on top of many other ailments, the government, development partners, and other stakeholders should come forward and ensure that the health sector stays vibrant and meets the health needs of citizens.

Therefore, the story that tutors in health training institutions have warned government that they will not resume teaching unless their salaries are increased couldn’t have come at the worst time. There is no doubt that today, the country is in need of more health professionals of all levels than ever before. These include health workers’ tutors, interns, nurses, midwives, clinical officers, and doctors.

President Museveni has on several occasions made a case for increasing pay for scientists, especially doctors who have helped the country in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He also says the only way to stabilise the country is increasing pay for scientists. 

What remains now is for the President to translate his appreciation of scientists’ into their pockets. 
Under their umbrella body, Medical Educationists’ Association (MEA), the trainers are appealing to government to raise their salaries to the tune of what their counterparts in hospitals earn. Medical trainers are currently paid as per the primary teachers’ scale, which in their view, is not rewarding enough.

It is equally important to ensure that the salaries of health professionals should be harmonised according to level of training and experience across the board and where one works. Doing so will help to resolve the persistent complaint of pay discrepancies such as the one raised by tutors in health institutions in comparison to their counterparts working in hospitals.

A situation where health tutors are paid under the U-4 scale of the Ministry of Education, earning a gross of Shs1.1 million while the same scale attracts a gross pay of Shs2.2 million in the Ministry of Health, should be avoided.

Besides pay, scientists, whether they are working in a hospital, laboratory, lecture room, or in the field, should be provided with the requisite equipment and supplies and all other forms of facilitation to enable them to do their work and achieve desired results. 

But harmonising the salary across the board in the health sector should be a good start.       

The health sector is critical in the livelihood of citizens, hence the development of the country. As such, anything that distorts the sector’s effective operation should be identified and urgently addressed. 

With Uganda registering increasing Covid-19 deaths and cases on top of many other ailments, the government, development partners, and other stakeholders should come forward and ensure that the health sector stays vibrant and meets the health needs of citizens.

Therefore, the story that tutors in health training institutions have warned government that they will not resume teaching unless their salaries are increased couldn’t have come at the worst time. There is no doubt that today, the country is in need of more health professionals of all levels than ever before. These include health workers’ tutors, interns, nurses, midwives, clinical officers, and doctors.

President Museveni has on several occasions made a case for increasing pay for scientists, especially doctors who have helped the country in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He also says the only way to stabilise the country is increasing pay for scientists. 

What remains now is for the President to translate his appreciation of scientists’ into their pockets. 
Under their umbrella body, Medical Educationists’ Association (MEA), the trainers are appealing to government to raise their salaries to the tune of what their counterparts in hospitals earn. Medical trainers are currently paid as per the primary teachers’ scale, which in their view, is not rewarding enough.

It is equally important to ensure that the salaries of health professionals should be harmonised according to level of training and experience across the board and where one works. Doing so will help to resolve the persistent complaint of pay discrepancies such as the one raised by tutors in health institutions in comparison to their counterparts working in hospitals.

A situation where health tutors are paid under the U-4 scale of the Ministry of Education, earning a gross of Shs1.1 million while the same scale attracts a gross pay of Shs2.2 million in the Ministry of Health, should be avoided.

Besides pay, scientists, whether they are working in a hospital, laboratory, lecture room, or in the field, should be provided with the requisite equipment and supplies and all other forms of facilitation to enable them to do their work and achieve desired results. 

But harmonising the salary across the board in the health sector should be a good start.       

The health sector is critical in the livelihood of citizens, hence the development of the country. As such, anything that distorts the sector’s effective operation should be identified and urgently addressed. 

With Uganda registering increasing Covid-19 deaths and cases on top of many other ailments, the government, development partners, and other stakeholders should come forward and ensure that the health sector stays vibrant and meets the health needs of citizens.

Therefore, the story that tutors in health training institutions have warned government that they will not resume teaching unless their salaries are increased couldn’t have come at the worst time. There is no doubt that today, the country is in need of more health professionals of all levels than ever before. These include health workers’ tutors, interns, nurses, midwives, clinical officers, and doctors.

President Museveni has on several occasions made a case for increasing pay for scientists, especially doctors who have helped the country in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He also says the only way to stabilise the country is increasing pay for scientists. 

What remains now is for the President to translate his appreciation of scientists’ into their pockets. 
Under their umbrella body, Medical Educationists’ Association (MEA), the trainers are appealing to government to raise their salaries to the tune of what their counterparts in hospitals earn. Medical trainers are currently paid as per the primary teachers’ scale, which in their view, is not rewarding enough.

It is equally important to ensure that the salaries of health professionals should be harmonised according to level of training and experience across the board and where one works. Doing so will help to resolve the persistent complaint of pay discrepancies such as the one raised by tutors in health institutions in comparison to their counterparts working in hospitals.

A situation where health tutors are paid under the U-4 scale of the Ministry of Education, earning a gross of Shs1.1 million while the same scale attracts a gross pay of Shs2.2 million in the Ministry of Health, should be avoided.

Besides pay, scientists, whether they are working in a hospital, laboratory, lecture room, or in the field, should be provided with the requisite equipment and supplies and all other forms of facilitation to enable them to do their work and achieve desired results. 

But harmonising the salary across the board in the health sector should be a good start.