Medical interns, under their umbrella body the Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI), have laid down their tools in protest against government’s delayed commitment to increase their monthly emoluments.

In a press briefing on Monday November 8, at Mulago, the FUMI President Dr. Nabwire Mary Lillian says the decision to strike is fully supported by the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), its mother body.

Dr Odong Samuel Oledo the President elect UMAs says the government has failed to honour a presidential directive and pledge to better the working conditions of intern doctors by increasing their salaries, providing better accommodation and hiring more work force.

Oledo says it was agreed at a meeting on June 1, 2021 between President Yoweri Museveni and Medical interns at State House, Entebbe that intern doctors get paid Shs2.5 million, Shs5 million for medical officers and Shs2.4 million for intern nurses starting July 2021.

“As you know interns are not students. They are fully qualified doctors with degrees and our first line of defence is in all major hospitals of Uganda. We urge the Minister of Finance to honour the Presidential directive and pay all intern doctors 2.5 m per month and other interns as stipulated in the directive,” Oledo said in a statement.

In addition, Oledo advised the Ministry of Public Service to advertise all the 1,000 jobs and employ doctors as per the Presidential directive.

According to their petition, UMA says at least 1,113 doctors remain unemployed despite acute understaffing in the country’s health facilities and a heavy workload.

Of the 5,247 doctor posts available in public service, 3,124 are vacant. The problem is apparently much bigger at consultancy and senior consultancy levels where 75 percent of the jobs are unoccupied.

UMA issued a 90-day ultimatum from Friday August 6, to the second week of November for the Government to address their needs.

Through the outgoing President, Dr Richard Idro, the medics in August 2021 petitioned the Minister of Public Service, Wilson Muruuli Mukasa, explaining why their demands must be met this time around.

Their demands include, among others, recruiting more staff because of inadequacy, lack of personal protective equipment (PPEs), an unfulfilled pledge by the government to increase their gross pay to Shs 3 million and to better the working conditions of Intern Medical Doctors, among others.