Mulago intern doctors vow not to resume work

By Violet Nabatanzi and Henry Sekanjako
 
Intern Medical doctors at the National Referral Hospital, Mulago who went on a sit down strike protesting the government’s delay to pay their allowances have vowed not to resume work.

Over 200 interns laid down their tools on Friday last week. Some of the interns New Vision talked to said that they have not been paid their allowances for the last two months.

“For two months we have not received a single coin from government. We shall not work until the money is channeled to our bank accounts,” the interns who never wanted to reveal their names said.

Medical doctors on internship are entitled to a sh600, 000 monthly allowance.

The interns said that the hospital management has promised them that their allowances will be paid soon.

Mulago Hospital Spokesperson, Enock Kusasira, said the money was released on March 25, but it went to wrong accounts.

“The problem was never noticed, but now the money has been re-channeled to the right accounts,” he said.

Interns are usually assigned to work in each of the wards which include; the Obstetrics and Genecology ward, Pediatrics’, surgery and general medicine.

Some of the care takers at the different wards said they have not noticed the strike since their patients have received the treatment they needed.

“My patient was admitted on  Friday. We passed through the causality ward, and we were treated well. The patient was taken to a CT scan and later referred to Neuro surgery ward,” A caretaker said.