Uganda To Import Cuban Doctors

Uganda government is planning to import 200 Cuban doctors and even hire several retired medical professors of its own country to reduce manpower gaps.

It is learned the government has constituted an ad hoc committee to work out the plan in details and it will be chaired by Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng.

A Cabinet source meanwhile mentioned the hiring cannot be done it against local doctors as the government does not want any conflict and the Cuban doctors will just complement the Ugandan counterparts.

Health ministry officials said the Cuban doctors may replace the striking Ugandan doctors, but some Cabinet colleagues opposed it saying the government should concentrate what is at home.

The Ugandan doctors were recently on strike for about three weeks and on November 25 they returned back to work to give the government some time on making good of the promises made live making the starting monthly salary as Shs5m for doctors and Shs41b supplementary budget for medicines and other supplies.

The government has been given December 16 as the deadline and if it is not turned positive the doctors may plan out their next course of action.

The minister said the Cuban doctors will not replace Ugandan doctors.

She added, “It is an offer from the Cuban government that has not yet concretised. It was already in plan, just as we have doctors from China to Uganda-China Friendship Naguru Hospital.”

However, an investigation find initial proposal was to import up to 2,000 Cuban doctors to replace the striking Ugandan doctors.