By Kaleb Yiiki

Arua

Nurses and Midwives in Uganda have called on the Government to remove stamp duty tax of Shillings 100,000 paid annually for acquiring Practicing License. This call came as Nurses and Midwives celebrated the International Nurses and Midwives day a Muni University in Arua City with delegates from Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi.
 
The Week Long Celebrations was marked with different Activities including Street Cleaning of Arua City and Marching through Arua Streets and a three day Conference. All Midwives and Nurses Working in Uganda must have a general License to practice and this has to be renewed every three Years. Stamp Duty is paid on some Legal Documents supposed to be created, extended, extinguished or even recorded, specified by the statute.
 
During the International Nurses and midwives day Celebrations, Ogena Obetia Ruth, the First Midwife from Arua District who is now 86 Years old and has retired from active service urged the currently serving Midwives to attend to patients with urgency, sincerely welcome the mothers with bright faces and avoid neglecting the mothers. “We should Laugh and Smile at our mothers because when we do that, they we feel okay even when they are in pain for they feel that there is someone who has come to assist them. Whether they are shouting or what let us be calm to them.” She Adviced.


Ogena Obetia Ruth, the First Midwife from Arua District
 
During an Interaction with the Nurses and midwives, David Opia Apap, the Senior Assistant Nursing Officer Lira Regional Referral Hospital urges Government to reinstate Lunch allowance for nurses on duty since they work for more hours due to Staffing Gaps and to employ more Nurses to reduce on the Nurse to patient ratio in Government Health Facilities. “Government again has imposed another tax called stamp duty of 100,000 Ugandan Shillings; paid while renewing our Nursing practicing Licensee yet they also deduct Pay as you earn which is burdensome to us.” He Decried.
 
Cherop Justus Kiplangat, the President Nurses and Midwives Union in Uganda called on Government to Amend the Nurses Act of 1996 which has become obsolete and can no longer support modern practices in Nursing and to comply with the Abuja Declaration of allocating 15% of the Countries’ Total Annual Budget to the Health Sector. He also urged Government to consider the Welfare of Nurses and Midwives. He revealed that Nurses and Midwives Union has been lobbying for support for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and sets of Mama Kits from abroad; which have been delivered at Health Centers but the union has been incurring Heavy Taxation on the Equipment form Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).


Cherop Justus Kiplangat(with Mic), President UNMU and guests from other countries

Mr. Cherop thus urged Government to lift taxes on these equipment since these are equipment delivered at Government Facilities. “His Excellency pledged to give 20 State house scholarships for Nurses which has partially been done, 1 billion Shillings for Nurses SACCO which has not been fulfilled four years down the road, a pickup truck to transport Mama Kits Upcountry which vehicle has not been seen. We request the President to fulfill his Pledges to the Nurses”. He Urged.  
 
Honorable Anifa Bangarina Kawoya, the State Minster for Health in charge of General Duties; who represented the president Said that Government is aware of the inadequate Welfare and Human Resource in health Facilities for there is need to adequately increase on the recruitment of staffs, equitably deployed and Distributed to support the Health needs of the Ugandan Population and once the wages are available, Recruitment of Nurses and Midwives and other Health Workers will be Implemented.


Hon. Anifa Bangarina Kawoya, the State Minster for Health in charge of General Duties

In His Speech read to him by the Honorable Anifa Kawoya, The President applauded the Nurses for their Diligence and commitment in the Fight against COVID-19 Pandemic. He Continued to Urge Nurses and mid wives to intensify educating the masses about Non Communicable Diseases which he referred to as Lifestyle Diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Obesity and Cancer which are mostly prevalent in Urban Population. “I will have feedback session with his Excellency the President and tell him that when I represented him, these are the Issues that remained unmet.” She Promised.


Guests joined nurses for a dance

The international day of nurses and midwives id marked every May 12^th annually and this year it was celebrated under the theme, “Our Nurses, Our Future.” 

COVER PHOTO: Nurses Singing the Anthem By Kaleb Yiiki