MINISTER ENGAGES NURSES AND MIDWIVES ON WELFARE AND SERVICE DELIVERY CONCERNS
The Minister of Public Service has held a consultative meeting with leaders of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU), during which the Union presented a range of concerns affecting nurses and midwives across the country and called for stronger Government intervention to improve their welfare, career development and working conditions.
The engagement brought together the Union’s leadership and officials from the Ministry of Public Service and provided an opportunity for open dialogue on key human resource and service delivery challenges within the health sector.
Speaking on behalf of more than 11,000 Union members, the President of UNMU highlighted the critical role played by nurses and midwives as frontline health workers, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas. He noted that, despite their enormous contribution to the country’s health system, many continue to face difficult working and living conditions.
Among the major concerns raised were low wages, high taxation of salaries, limited accommodation near duty stations, delayed promotions and confirmation in service, and inadequate compensation for nurses and midwives who suffer work-related illnesses or injuries including those arising from exposure to infectious diseases.
The Union also raised concerns over delays in coding some of its members on the payroll after submission of Union membership forms, arguing that this affects their ability to fully enjoy their right to representation.
Other issues presented to the Minister included the outstanding UGX 1 billion Government pledge to the Union SACCO dating back to 2018 and the request for Government to reconsider restrictions on labour export so that qualified Ugandan nurses and midwives can access international employment opportunities and improve their welfare.
The Union further informed the Minister that Uganda has approximately 70,000 nurses, yet Government employs only about 30,000, leaving a large number of qualified professionals outside public service despite staffing shortages in many health facilities. They called for increased recruitment, better deployment and more effective human resource management at district level.
Concerns were also raised regarding challenges associated with biometric clocking-in systems, with the Union calling for a fair and practical approach that takes into account the unique working arrangements and demands faced by health workers.
In addition, the Union requested Government to organise patriotism training for its members at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi, and called for the upgrading of Health Centre IIs to Health Centre IIIs in order to expand access to essential health services and strengthen staffing structures at community level.
The Nurses and Midwives also appealed for improved staff welfare, better accommodation, stronger support supervision, and greater attention to challenges affecting health facilities such as Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Concerns were further raised regarding the role of the State House Health Monitoring Unit, with the Union calling for a more supportive approach to supervision rather than one perceived as primarily focused on fault-finding.
The Union also highlighted the lack of adequate hospital infrastructure in some parts of the country, including concerns over the absence of a general hospital in Serere and parts of the Bukedi sub-region, as well as persistent human resource challenges faced by Nurses & Midwives at district local governments.
Responding to the issues raised, the Minister thanked the Union leadership for presenting its concerns through constructive dialogue and assured them that Government remained committed to engaging health workers and addressing legitimate challenges affecting public service delivery.
The Minister pledged to follow up with the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies on a number of specific matters, including coding of Union members, housing and accommodation for nurses and midwives, biometric sign-in challenges, matters affecting Mulago Hospital, and issues concerning nursing assistants.
He emphasised the importance of partnership and continued dialogue between Government and health workers, noting that sustainable solutions require cooperation, mutual understanding and a shared commitment to national development.
“We need to work together for a better Uganda,” the Minister said.
The meeting underscored the Ministry of Public Service’s commitment to constructive engagement with public officers and their representative bodies as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen human resource management, improve employee welfare and enhance the quality of public service delivery across the country.
