Just like the age limit for anyone seeking the Presidency was removed, many public servants thought that their retirement age would be changed from 60 to 70 years. However, government has refuted reports that it has finalized plans to raise the retirement age for all public servants from 60 years to 70 years.
Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Public Service Minister, and Wilson Muruli Mukasa said the proposed plan will only cater for medical professionals.
“Among the proposals for review is the provision for employment of medical specialists beyond the mandatory retirement age of 60 years,” said Muruli.
The Minister explained that after consulting stakeholders including the Health Ministry, they came up with a proposal that will see specialized medical practitioners in the fields of oncology, hematology, anesthesia, psychiatry, cardiology, pathology and neuro-surgery among others be employed even after clocking the mandatory 60 years of age.
According to the Public Service Minister, the rapid population growth against the slower growth of production of medical specialists has resulted in the need to review the employment terms for medical specialists.
“The other circumstances that have necessitated this provision is the advancement in health care that Uganda needs to adopt.”
The minister explained that statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that out of 688 approved positions of medical specialists, only 339 representing a percentage of 39 have been filled.
He said this necessitated a need for the redeployment of retired medical specialists.
