Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union to mobilize nurses to strike over Covid-19 allowances

The Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union-UNMU has threatened to mobilize nurses involved in the COVID-19 vaccination exercise to lay down their tools unless they are paid their allowances.

While the nurses are entitled to a daily allowance of Shillings 5000, some of the nurses interviewed by URN say they have gone a week without getting their allowances. They also note that the Ministry of Health is still non-committal on when the money will be availed.

Kiplangat Cherop, the President of Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union says that they have made various attempts to get an explanation from the ministry in vain. He says that they have scheduled a meeting on Monday to address the matter.

A nurse who spoke to URN on condition of anonymity says that they are currently spending their own money on transport and lunch, saying this is unsustainable.

Dr. Alfred Driwale, the head of the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization-UNEPI was none committal to when the ministry will pay the nurses. He said that they are working with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and division health centers to address the matter.

So far, the country has administered 2.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines against a targeted population of 22 million Ugandans. Uganda is among countries that have failed to attain the 10 percent target that was set for September by the COVAX facility.

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URN