Panic as doctors threaten nationwide Strike
The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has announced its intention to initiate a general strike, commencing on 1stAugust 2023, in response to the government’s failure to address their concernsduring press briefing held at the harrowing Mulago Hospital on Wednesday 17th July 2023
In reaction to the government’s inability to address their complaints, the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has declared its intention to start a countrywide strike, starting on 1st august 2023. This announcement was made during a press briefing held on Wednesday, July 17, 2023, at the Mulago Hospital.
The long-standing delay in deploying medical interns has sparked a wave of strikes across the country, highlighting the perilous state of the healthcare system.
The Secretary-General of UMA, Dr. Lukwata emphasized that these interns constitute a staggering 70 percent of the healthcare workforce, and their absence is pushing hospitals to the brink. Tragically, patients and expectant mothers are paying the ultimate price, losing their lives due to the lack of medical personnel to attend to them.
“Our colleagues are working tirelessly, often on double shifts. Exhausted and overwhelmed, they are unable to devote sufficient time to patients, leading to incorrect diagnoses and improper treatment,” Dr. Lukwata warned with a chilling undertone. “By the time they realize their mistake, it’s too late—the patient is gone.”
Dr. Lukwata disclosed that a staggering sum of Shs101 billion is urgently needed to address the intern deployment crisis and ensure adequate allowances for senior house officers (SHOs). Exasperated by empty promises, the medical fraternity called upon the Ministry of Finance to fulfill its commitment and release the necessary funds before the impending August 1 deadline.
Additionally, the doctors appealed to the Ministry of Public Service to prioritize job evaluations, rectify salary discrepancies, and expedite necessary administrative changes within 60 days. The harrowing reality is that doctors are falling ill themselves due to extreme exhaustion, threatening to withdraw care unless the government takes immediate notice of their dire predicament.
Dr. Joel Mirembe, the UMA Central Region Chairperson, voiced grave concern over the alarming toll on doctors’ health and issued a dire warning: “We cannot stand by and watch our colleagues succumb to illness repeatedly. Some of them may be forced to withdraw care to force the government to acknowledge our plight.”
Dr. Mirembe also called upon the government to re-assess its commitment to healthcare and take decisive action to alleviate the immense suffering experienced by ordinary Ugandans within hospitals.
The deployment of approximately 1,901 medical interns requires a substantial budget of Shs80.4 billion for one year. Despite clear directives from Parliament and Cabinet instructing the Ministry of Finance to allocate funds, the promised financial lifeline remains elusive, exacerbating an already critical situation.
The clock is ticking, and the nation watches anxiously as doctors and the government engage in a high stakes battle for the future of healthcare in Uganda. Failure to act swiftly could thrust the healthcare system into an unprecedented state of chaos, leaving the lives of countless Ugandans hanging in the balance.
The UMA’s decision to pursue a strike reflects the growing frustration among medical professionals and their commitment to advocating for better working conditions and the deployment of interns.
