The Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, has expressed her concern that the recent increase in salaries for health workers has not yet resulted in better services for patients.
Last year, the government doubled the salaries of medical workers. For example, a senior medical consultant’s salary went up from 7.3 million shillings to 17.4 million shillings. Despite this, Aceng observed that many health workers have used their increased incomes to start private businesses. As a result, they often prioritize personal work over attending to patients in hospitals.
Addressing the seventh Grand Doctors Conference and Annual General Meeting, Aceng mentioned that the Ministry had recently undergone a restructuring exercise to accommodate a wide range of specialties, both existing and non-existing, to prevent the loss of potential specialists trained abroad.
Dr. Herbert Luswata, the Secretary General of the Uganda Medical Association, stated that it is too early to measure the impact of the salary increment. He acknowledged that some health workers are working harder due to the increased salary.
In a speech delivered by Aceng, Janet Museveni, the Minister of Education and Sports, mentioned that her ministry is working to standardize the quality of education and training in universities and health institutions in response to public concerns.