Medical interns vow to continue strike until demands are met

Medical Interns have vowed to continue with their ongoing strike over low pay, defying pressure from internship centre directors to resume work. On February 1, the Federation for Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI) launched a nationwide strike expressing their dissatisfaction with the government’s disregard for President Museveni’s directive to increase their monthly allowance from Shs1 million to Shs2.4 million.

Speaking to journalists in Kampala, Shanita Nankya, the vice president of FUMI noted that it is sad that senior doctors who passed through the same situation are threatening to cancel their appointment letters if they don’t resume work.

“Let them call us to find a way on how we can improve the interns’ welfare because we also want to live a decent life. When we are hungry, we cannot make the right diagnosis meaning in this, we are not only doing a disservice to the medical interns but to patients as well,” Nankya said.

She said intimidation cannot solve their problems, vowing not to look back until the president’s directive is implemented.

Written by Prossy Kisakye