Graduate doctors whose internship begins next year have said they will not report to hospitals as scheduled in solidarity support to their sacked striking colleagues. In a December 10 letter, the ministry of Health ordered striking medical interns to vacate hospitals in a week and pave way for their graduate colleagues.
Leonard Mutebi a representative of pre-interns said the ministry directive which among others, asks interns who were in their second rotation five weeks ago before industrial action to find a way of finishing their training is an indication of how hard the working conditions are.
“We’re not joining internship when our predecessors, our seniors – the current interns, their needs are not met. Because I know the strike they are in is affecting or helping us all and we’re the current beneficiaries. So we cannot water down their efforts by us joining internship. So we cannot join internship when needs are not met and we all understand the needs because you the media have always been covering and you know what we’re demanding for. You’re very much aware of the directive of the president which was ordering the interns to be receiving Shs 2.5 million which we have not received up to now and all other issues to do with welfare, accommodation for us. We cannot water down their efforts by joining,” said Mutebi.
Among the contentious issues that led to their laying down of tools are lack of medicines in hospitals, lack of work tools such as personal protective equipment, accommodation, and low facilitation of just Shs 750,000 yet they literally run health facilities that have suffered perennial low staffing of qualified professionals.
They are now asking that they be paid an increased salary of Shs 2.5 million but according to Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director-general of health services this money is currently unavailable although he notes a supplementary budget was passed and awaits the release of funds by the ministry of Finance.
When this money is finally availed, Mwebesa said in a letter written on Friday, it will only pay the striking medical workers arrears of up to November when they were still working.
Mwebesa’s directive has however caused more uproar among not only medical circles but also workers’ unions in the country. For instance, while the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI) is still discussing the way forward while the mother Uganda Medical Association(UMA) is considering suing the government.
Dr Herbert Luswata, general secretary of UMA said that they have contacted the health rights organization, Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (Cehurd) for intervention considering that their right to express their grievances and demonstration are being trampled on.
Also, other medical workers who had initially abstained from the industrial action to offer emergency services have either put down tools or notified their bosses about their next course of action.
At the China Uganda Friendship hospital in Naguru, Dr Allan Mbaine, the group leader of interns said they have been on duty since November 2nd despite a strike call from FUMI to be able to handle emergencies but the Mwebesa letter shows they don’t value their contribution.
“It is not only interpreted as a lack of value for medical interns but also a threat to the medical profession. We have decided to join our colleagues and we shall not report for any activity starting Sunday midnight,” Mbaine said in a letter.
The Association of Graduate Nurses and Midwives of Uganda (AGNMA) also expressed their stand with the striking medical interns saying despite the poor facilitation and poor working conditions including long working hours and sometimes without meals and rest, they have continued working tirelessly.
AGNMA called the decision to expel medical interns from hospitals as “dangerous”, saying these are future medical professionals who should be treated with dignity and respect. They are called on the ministry of Health to pay the medical interns their deserved salary, saying no mother should be starving her own children.
“We want to thank the medical interns who have tirelessly worked despited of the poor facilitation and working condition. We wish to reiterate that we stand with medical interns and support them in this cause. We strongly condemn the decision of the ministry of Health to expel medical interns from hospitals before finishing internship because this is a learning opportunity for them,” AGNMA writes.
