By Leilah Bbaale
Medical workers treating covid-19 patients at Hoima Referral Hospital are demanding risk allowances for the past six months.
The health workers at the Covid-19 treatment unit say that they are demanding risk allowances of more than 250 Million Shillings.
Dr John Turyagumanawe, the head of the COVID-19 Treatment Unit explains that all the 25 health workers have not had their risk allowances paid since December last year. He explains that each health worker at the unit is supposed to receive 80, 000 Shillings per day.
One of the health workers speaking on condition of anonymity says that they want their allowances paid to enable them to fend for their families.
Another health worker says that they are working under tough conditions and wonders why the government has kept a deaf ear.
Samuel Kisembo, the Chairperson Hoima City COVID-19 Taskforce Chairperson admits that the health workers have worked for the last six months without receiving allowances and this he says has demoralized most of the health workers who are helping to save the lives of Ugandans.
He wonders why the health ministry has for the past six months not released risk allowances for the health workers.
Dr Lawrence Tumusiime, the Hoima District Health officer-DHO says they are currently engaging the health ministry to release the allowances for the health workers. He however calls on the health workers to be calm and continue working to save the lives of Ugandans.
According to Tumusiime, he is not aware of when the government will release the money to pay the allowances of the health workers.
Currently, the Hoima COVID-19 Treatment unit is managing 31 critical cases.
