Winfred Kiiza, the Leader of Opposition has warned Government against making threats of firing and prosecuting striking medical workers, saying the Executive should instead address the concerns raised.
She made the remarks this afternoon during a press briefing at Parliament, arguing that Government should procure all the medical supplies doctors are demanding at medical facilities across the country, instead of threatening them to work.
“The head of state is pre-occupied with funding of the removal of age limits instead of being bothered with lives of Ugandans. Ugandans are dying because the doctors can’t get what to use in their hospitals, they can’t get what can enable them to work while being motivated. Our question to Government specifically the NRM regime; what are their priorities?” Kiiza asked rhetorically.
The Kasese Woman MP also asked President Yoweri Museveni to stop bragging about the government completed projects when the people meant to benefit from such projects are dying due to lack of drugs in hospitals and poor remuneration of medical workers.
Ms. Kiiza also wondered why, with the increment of Health budget to Shs1.8 trillion in the financial year 2017/18 aimed at improving welfare of medical workers, the health professionals keep on striking and complaining of the inadequate medical supplies.
The development comes at a time when intern doctors announced this morning not to go back to work, protesting the threats made by the Minister of Health Ruth Aceng.
Making the pronouncement was Edward Obuku, the President of Uganda Medical Association, who told journalists that the interns chose to throw in their towels following last week’s threats.
“This morning, we got information that the intern doctors and senior house assistants who are over 1000 doctors in the country took a decision to withdraw even the emergency services. The key issue being that the interns have been intimidated by their supervisors by the hospital medical supervisors and they can’t work under intimidation,” Dr. Obuku said.
