Medics cautioned against strikes, urged on peaceful grievance resolution

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People in the medical profession including nurses and midwives, have been cautioned against involvement in strikes as this puts the lives of patients at stake and often results in their death.

Instead, National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC) commissioner Hellen Seku says they should always opt for peaceful means of resolving grievances, such as mediation as opposed to strikes which she described as criminal and outdated.

“As patriotic professionals, always have devotion for service to your motherland, make it a priority before anything else. Money and materials gains should never be put at the forefront but service delivery,” she said on Saturday, October 18, 2025.

She was speaking while passing out a total of 433 first-year students upon completion of their patriotism training course at the Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery in Jinja city.

Seku also asked young people to always be proud of their African culture and heritage and avoid copying foreign practices like same sex marriages and bleaching, which she noted have led many youth into untold suffering.

She challenged the trainees to value and practice the skills attained in the training, as these help them become assertive citizens who cannot be manipulated by self-seeking individuals.

Enriching course

According to school principal Mebra Mulabiza, the course deeply enriched the learners and shaped them into disciplined students ready to serve the nation.

“Patriotism training is a moral foundation for Uganda. It resonates with our mission of teaching knowledge, skills and attitude,” she said.

The trainees, in a memorandum presented by Angella Nakyanja, thanked President Yoweri Museveni and the Government for initiating patriotism training, noting that it instils the value of selfless service and love for one’s country.

She said during the one-week training, they were introduced to topics such as democracy, revolutionary discipline, financial discipline, the constitution of Uganda and the fight against corruption, among others.

“We pledge to uphold the values learnt and contribute towards the attainment of Vision 2040,” she said.

She thanked the government for its contribution towards infrastructure development at the institute, but requested more support in areas such as the construction of a boys' hostel, noting that male students currently stay in rented premises outside the school compound, which affects their security and academic performance.

She also singled out limited accommodation space for tutors, which she said makes the majority of staff live in distant places.

Seku pledged shillings 10 million towards the boys’ hostel construction project.

Earlier, Jinja Resident City Commissioner Richard Gulume cautioned the students against being misled by selfish politicians to cause havoc in the forthcoming general elections.

“As young people, you have a bigger stake in this country than we older citizens. You must therefore strive to keep it intact by rejecting any plans that seek to cause confusion or destruction of our nation,” he said.