Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and other KCCA leaders at Kiruddu hospital. Photo by Raymond Mayanja.
KAMPALA–Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) leaders have inspected all the health facilities in the city to ascertain the impact of the ongoing strike by medical doctors.
This week, doctors went on strike demanding high pay. They want an intern doctor to earn Shs8m and Shs45m for a senior doctor.
Yesterday, the authority headed by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago agreed to visit all the KCCA health facilities.
This was after the councillors asked Dr. David Serukka, the health director, to explain to them how they are managing the situation.
When he failed to convince them, Alice Amony, one of the councillors proposed that they visit the facilities.
This Thursday afternoon, Lukwago led a team of city leaders on a tour of the health facilities. They first visited Kiruddu Hospital where they interacted with some health workers.
Ever since the doctors went on strike, several patients in public health facilities are stranded. The doctors resolved to handle only emergency cases.
While appearing before the Parliamentary health committee, Health minister Ruth Aceng said government can currently meet only two of the demands raised by striking doctors, which are improving pay for interns and senior house officers.
The minister had been summoned to explain the circumstances surrounding the strike and brief MPs on the way forward.
According to Aceng, the doctors had come up with what they called a health barometer in which they listed various demands like chauffer driven cars and three bedroomed houses for doctors as well as improved medical supplies and equipment for hospitals.
A doctor briefs KCCA leaders on the medical situation in the city’s health centres. Photo by Raymond Mayanja.
Meanwhile, two medical unions, the Uganda Medical Workers Union and the Uganda Nurses and MidWife Union, have disassociated themselves from the ongoing medical workers’ strike. The unions said they will not be part of this industrial action.
Aggrey Sanya, Secretary-General of the Uganda Medical Workers Union said the Medical Association’s move did not go through the right channels.
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