By Herbert Kiirya
Medical doctors under their umbrella body the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) have threatened to go on strike if the government fails to deploy medical interns by August 1, 2023.
Doctors have been struggling with the workload in government hospitals, and with the absence of medical interns, who constitute a big percentage of the workforce, the situation is becoming untenable.
Doctors have been demanding that the government deploy the medical interns and improve the salary and working conditions of medical officers, but no action has been taken.
The Secretary-General of UMA, Dr Herbert Luswata, has urged the Ministry of Finance to provide funds for the deployment and allowances for medical interns and Senior House Officers (SHOs) as directed by Cabinet.
He noted that the Parliament had recommended putting money in the budget to take care of the intern and SHO allowances.
Cabinet had discussed the matter on May 15, 2023, and directed the Minister of Finance to find the money and ensure that medical interns are deployed and paid.
The Minister of Finance promised that he would deal with the issue of deployment of 1901 new interns who completed in 2022.
In the 2023/2014 financial year budget, the government allocated Shs 22.9 billion to cater for the allowances of medical interns and senior house officers, money the ministry said was not meant for the deployment of the 1901 pre–medical interns but rather to pay arrears owed to the 935 interns who had completed their internship in April of the same year.
Doctors-under-UMA-discuss-a-looming-strike-over-interns
However, a month has passed, and there has been no confirmation of funds or disbursement from the Ministry of Finance for deployment.
This, according to the doctors means the recently graduated intern doctors, nurses and pharmacists continue to be held in a ‘career and development limbo’ through no choice of their own.
Luswata said the lack of interns has led to doctors being overwhelmed and unable to provide adequate care to patients.
“The continued non-deployment of medical interns up to now, leaves us with no choice but to re-activate a nation-wide industrial action involving all medical cadres starting on August 1 2023,” he said.
He said patients spend more time waiting in queues, and many go home without receiving medical attention. Doctors are urging the government to deploy medical interns to improve medical care.
Luswata expressed his concern that graduated medical doctors, pharmacists and nurses continue to stay at home after graduating from medical school with some already having stayed at home for a full one year already, because they cannot practice what they studied without practicing licenses.
He said these licenses can only be provided after the mandatory medical internship for one year which can only be done by this long overdue deployment.
He said Medical Officer Special Grade/Associate consultants who are the majority among the supervisors of both the medical interns and the supervisors of the senior house officers too have been struggling with inappropriate pay.
This is due to errors in the salary scale which does not match with their qualifications and job description.
“Human resources coverage in government health facilities ranges between 40 to 45 percent of the expected coverage in most government health facilities even in normal circumstances, thus leaving a huge human resource gap,” he said.