The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Midwives have decried the exorbitant fees they pay to renew their license. All nurses and midwives working in Uganda must have a general license to practice and this has to be renewed every 3 years.
The midwives note that renewing their practicing license requires them to also pay 100,000 Shillings to Uganda Revenue Authority- URA, which they want to be scrapped.
This excludes what each midwife is supposed to pay for renewing their license.
Catherine Nabbanja, a midwife and also the head of Nursing Kawempe National Referral Hospital says that as midwives they find it hard to renew their practicing license as required by the profession due to the fees.
She decries the 100, 000 that is charged as a revenue fee that is deposited in the bank.
Emily Opu, the Vice President National Midwives Association Uganda, says that some midwives can’t afford the fees paid to URA because they are underpaid.
The National Midwives Association of Uganda Annette Kanyunyuzi says that the 100,000 Shillings is optional. She however says that it applies to midwives who are in a rush to renew their licenses.
On decentralizing the services offered by the council, Kanyunyuzi noted that they already have regional offices at all referral levels hence advising the members to use them.
She also went ahead to note that it’s only those new applicants that are required to reach out to the headquarters, noting that they always have issues to follow up on them before issuing them practicing licenses.
According to Kanyunyuzi midwives pay for the licenses depending on their levels. Enrolled midwives pay 50,000 Shillings, registered nurses who are diploma level pay 80,000 Shillings and the graduates pay 100,000 Shillings.
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How much do they pay as surcharge??