Mulago interns call off strike

Intern medical students at Mulago National Referral Hospital have called off their strike after receiving their monthly allowances.

The president of the interns, Fauz Kavuma, confirmed to New Vision in an exclusive interview that all the medical intern students have received their allowances and that they are ready to continue with their assignments.

The interns went on a sit down strike last week protesting government's failure to pay their allowances for the last three months. The 205 interns said since they commute from home they lacked transport.

Kavuma said the hospital does not provide them with meals and accommodation.

The interns are entitled to get a monthly allowance of sh756,000 and include trainee pharmacists, surgeons and nurses required to work for over 12 hours a day.

The current lot of students started their internship in August last year.

Some of the interns are usually assigned to work in each of the wards which include; the Obstetrics and Genecology ward, Paediatrics, surgery and general medicine in all Mulago Hospitals including Kawempe and Kiruddu.

The strike had affected health service delivery at the hospital because patients were taking long to get treatment.

Mulago Hospital spokesperson, Enock Kusasira, also confirmed that all the interns were paid.

"We do not know why the interns have not reported today for work, I am sure they have been paid, the payments started Monday," he wondered on Tuesday.

Kusasira however said during the strike no patient had failed to get treatment.

This is not the first set of intern to go on strike over non-payment but every year since 2011 they have been putting down tools over delayed payments.