The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has issued a 14 days ultimatum to the government to work on pending welfare for medical interns across the country, or risk an industrial action.
In a statement dated August 11th by the Association President, Dr Frank Asiimwe, revealed that the resolution was adopted following an extraordinary General Assembly attended by 4,500 medical doctors from across Uganda and the diaspora, concerning the concerning the ongoing crisis in the deployment and welfare of medical interns.
“U.M.A fully supports the decision by medical interns to remain at home until the Ministry of Health issues deployment instructions that guarantee adequate financial support to meet their basic living expenses, including accommodation, transport, meals, and other essential needs” he said.
Dr Asiimwe, further called on government to promptly ensure the full payment of a monthly allowance of UGX 4 million, equivalent to 75 percent of a Medical Officer’s salary, to every medical intern throughout the entire internship period.
He noted to safeguard the dignity of the medical profession and the quality and safety of healthcare delivery, doctors across Uganda shall commence industrial action upon the expiry of 14 days if the Ministry of Health fails to respond to their request.
“Throughout the industrial action, emergency care and essential life-saving services shall remain available” he said.
Dr Asiimwe further revealed that industrial action shall commence with immediate effect, without further notice or the need to reconvene the General Assembly in case of victimization of interns & retraction of deployment by the health ministry.
“Failure by Cabinet to provide clear, binding, and satisfactory directives on the withdrawal of the National Education and Training for Health Policy to allow for genuine, inclusive stakeholder consultation. Guaranteed Allowances and disbursement of Arrears” he said.
Asiimwe reiterated the need to pay medical interns who form the backbone of frontline clinical care in Uganda’s public healthcare system, taking care of 70% of healthcare delivery in the centres where they are deployed.
“Subjecting graduate doctors on apprenticeship to unviable living conditions jeopardizes both their well-being and patient safety, posing both a health and security threat” he said.
Dr Asiimwe also reminded the health ministry to sort a number of underlying systemic challenges that directly impact performance and drive occupational hazards such as presentism, absenteeism, low output, severe stress, and burnout among doctors.
“U.M.A calls for immediate resolution of the following; An increase in healthcare financing with a clear roadmap toward the Abuja Declaration target of 15%, an immediate lifting of the ban on health sector recruitment, and a deliberate strategy to improve the current doctor-to-patient ratio from 1:25,000 toward the WHO-recommended 1:1,000 to bridge staffing levels that currently sit dangerously below 30%” he said.
He added, “Immediate correction of the lingering pay discrepancies affecting Associate Consultants, and rectification of the widespread career stagnation in the medical profession, in which medical officers remain un promoted for over 10 years despite having obtained all requisite qualifications”.
