Medical interns want Presidential directive on pay increment reinstated
In an August 9, 2021 letter addressed to the prime minister and the ministries of Health, Finance and Public Service, President Museveni directed that the monthly pay for intern doctors be increased from Shs750, 000 to Shs2.5m.
Medical interns are planning to lay down tools on February 1, 2024 until the presidential directive on pay increment is reinstated.
In an August 9, 2021 letter addressed to the prime minister and the ministries of Health, Finance and Public Service, President Museveni directed that the monthly pay for intern doctors be increased from Shs750, 000 to Shs2.5m.
“I recommend that all, medical interns be paid half of the recommended pay of fully appointed officers in the respective profession starting July 2021. For intern doctors this should be Shs 2,500,000 that is half of Shs. 5 million a medical officer is to earn,” the letter read.
However, while deploying medical interns in August, the ministry of health offered a net monthly allowance of Shs1 million each to facilitate accommodation and feeding.
“Government will therefore deploy the 1,901 Medical Interns within the available budget at a net monthly allowance of UGX I,OOO’OOO (One Million Shillings Only) per intern to facilitate accommodation and feeding,” Mwebesa said in a statement.
Now Federation for Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI) President Bill Adrati has revealed that they have made efforts through formal and informal avenues to have a discussion on reinstating the presidential directive but it did not yield any fruits.
“There is a breach of a presidential directive under unclear circumstances which not only amounts into an illegality but also grossly compromises welfare needs of medical inters in the line of national duty,” he said in a statement dated January 22,2024.
He revealed that the 4th general assembly of medical interns that convened on Wednesday, July 14, 2024 resolved to indulge an industrial action through total withdraw of services.
“We do not buy into the idea that there’s no money. Even the little which is there was used appropriately, then we would buy into the idea. With the evidence that we have, we ask government to find the money and pay the interns,” he said.
