Dr Ruth Aceng Officiates Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign in Acholi Sub-region

While opening up a mass vaccination exercise in Acholi subregion at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital yesterday, the Cabinet Minister of Health Dr Ruth Aceng cautioned striking medics saying that government does not understand why they have to strike. Dr Aceng said government has been committed to fulfill most of its pledges to the medical fraternity.

“Stop acting prematurely and with a lot of emotions” says Dr Aceng. She further reinstated that there is a lot that the doctors are not accepting which government has given them. This comes at a time when the doctors are into their fifth day of industrial action laying their tools down because of salary enhancements.

According to the President’s words rephrased by the Minister of Health, “the lowest medical personnel will earn 5millions up to the senior medical consultants who shall earn more than 20millions by 1^st July 2021.” In addition, more recruitments are to be made in the medical family. It should be noted that similar promises have been made to the medical fraternity in past years and not fulfilled, this raises the question of whether this promise will come to pass or the usual hide and seek will be at play.

In the same event, Dr Ruth Aceng said that the government is targeting to vaccinate over 22million people by January. “Our target has changed from 4million people when we had vaccine scarcity to 22million people now that the vaccines are in plenty,” says Aceng.

Vaccination remains low in Acholi sub region which requires an extra effort.

By Daniel Olara