President Yoweri Museveni has reportedly threatened to declare a state of emergency and arrest medical doctors should they go on strike. This follows the announcement of a November 6 strike by the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), the medics’ union.

Doctors employed by the government are unhappy with their remuneration and want an increase in salaries and allowances.

On Tuesday, President Museveni met union officials at State House Entebbe in which the planned strike featured prominently.

The doctors are also demanding higher duty facilitation allowances.

UMA president, Dr Ekwaro Obuku said they discussed the duty facilitation allowance, which would require Ush90 billion ($24.6 million) annually to cover the entire health workforce.

Dr Obuku argued that the money would be a better investment in personnel by the state in comparison with the allowances granted to parliamentarians.

“The Ush90 billion will guarantee a better return on investment compared with the Ush200 billion ($54.7 million) spent on Members of Parliament,” he said.

Medics also want the government to review their salaries, and pegged an intern doctor’s salary at a new ceiling of Ush8.5 million ($2,326). Interns currently gross Ush960,000 ($262). They are also seeking Ush15 million ($4,105) for medical officers or teaching assistants and a two-bedroom house along with a 2,500cc car.

Should the government agree to the demands, a senior consultant doctor or professor will be the highest paid health worker, with a gross pay of Ush35 million ($9,580) and additional allowances. The officer would further be entitled to a five bedroom house, a 4,000 cc car and three domestic staff.

A senior consultant doctor earns about Ush3.4 million $931), a consultant gets Ush2.6 million ($712), and a medical officer, Ush1.1 million ($300) per month.

The head of state briefly met the union leaders before he flew to Dubai for an economic summit.

Pursue dialogue

After the meeting, State Minister for Primary Health Care Joyce Moriku Kaducu said the medics had agreed to abandon their industrial action. “The doctors agreed to call off the strike and pursue dialogue with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders,” Ms Kaducu said.

She said President Museveni blamed the Ministry of Health for poor planning resulting in health service provision challenges.

Dr Obuku, however, appeared to contradict her statement by insisting that the union had not called off the strike but had decided to pursue dialogue with the President to resolve the dispute.

“The president threatened to call a state of emergency and arrest the doctors to get them back to work but I interpret his statement as a clear indication of how important we are in health care service delivery,” Dr Obuku said.