World Food Day 2024: Food Scientists Make Urgent Call for Nutritional Awareness and Reform in Uganda
By PATRICK JARAMOGI
KAMPALA-SHIFTMEDIA- Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda has instructed the Ministry of Health to get money for nurses’ lunch allowances immediately.
In heated meeting held at the Prime Minister’s office today, Rugunda described the action of the Health Ministry to deny nurses their lunch allowance as an embarrassment to government.
“I personally wrote to the Minister of Finance to ensure the allowances are budgeted for. It is very embarrassing,” said Rugunda.
Adding; “Please look for that money and ensure its provided for nurse’s lunch as pledged by His Excellency the president.”
Rugunda was meeting the officials from the nurses’ Union headed by the President Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU), Cherop Kiplangat, Usher Wilson Owere the Chairman General National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU), State Minister for Health Robinah Nabanjja, the State Minister for Public ServiceHon Karubanga David, and technocrats from the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development.
The meeting was called after UNMU called a nationwide industrial action on Monday for its 18,000 members.
On Thursday after we broke the story of diverting the shs70.5b meant for nurses’ lunch, Dr. Diana Atwine the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health came out to clear the air that no monies were released yet.
Atwine in her statement clarified that much as the budget estimates for lunch allowances were worked out, its implementation was affected by the COVID 19 pandemic which constrained the resource envelop.
In our story https://shiftmedianews.com/exposed-health-minister-dr-jane-ruth-aceng-on-spot-for-diverting-shs70b-nurses-money-for-lunch/ we did report the MOFPED had budgeted the shs70.5billion to be effective starting financial year 2021/22. Nurses decided to strike after they got tipped that this monies have been diverted.
According to the President Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union, Kiplangat, they are set to address the nurses tomorrow to call off the strike.