Dr Diana Atwine Issues Orders to CAOs in Desperate Attempt to Stop Another Strike

Dr Diana Atwine, the Ministry of Health (MoH) Permanent Secretary (PS), has ordered Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), town clerks, directors of national referral hospitals, regional referral hospitals, and hospitals to designate laboratory technologists.

The orders by PS were issued on December 16, days before the Uganda Medical Laboratory Technology Association (UMLTA) announced it would start its strike on Tuesday.

The lab technologists are demanding pay rise and designation by relevant accounting officers.

UMLTA and its leaders had raised the issue of designation of lab technologists as well as other issues in a meeting with MoH officials led by director general of health services Dr Henry Mwebesa on December 02.

The other issues touched on positions of deputy DHO (Lab) and Deputy DHO (Pharmacy); President Museveni’s Shs3bn pledge to UMLTA Sacco, poor lab infrastructure, lack of framework to guide operationalization of internship, and upgrading from the M2 to M1 salary scale to match pharmacists who have the same training duration.

On the issue of designation, while in January 2019, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Service, had directed the designation of lab technologists by March 2019, the relevant accounting officers hadn’t implemented the same over two years later.

On December 16, PS Dr Atwine ordered CAOs, town clerks and hospital bosses to do their part regarding the designation of lab technologists.

“Arising from the above, this is to remind all of you to submit all Medical Laboratory Staff who have not been designated to respective Service Commissions for immediate action,” Dr Atwine directed.