Jinja — The discharge of the first COVID-19 patient from Jinja Hospital on Thursday was marred by a strike that was staged by 40 health workers who are demanding their unpaid daily allowances.
However, Jinja Hospital health workers decided to lay their tools down on Wednesday while another COVID-19 patient was being wheeled into the facility.
Mr Robert Gatama, an in-charge of the Isolation Unit, said that they are each entitled to a risk allowance of Shs80, 000 and refreshment allowance of Shs15, 000 per day as stipulated in the guidelines and circulars sent by the Ministry of Health.
Dr Florence Tugumisirize, the Jinja hospital director, said when she heard about the workers' meeting, she thought they were going to rehearse how they would discharge the first COVID-19 patient.
She said that support staff are each entitled to Shs50, 000, health workers Shs60, 000 each, while those on salary scale U1 and U2 are each entitled to Shs80, 000 per day.
