Over 2,000 pre-medical interns have issued the ministry of health a one-day ultimatum to urgently release an official communication about the status of their pending deployment in Ugandan hospitals.
The current cohort was expected to be deployed in hospitals by April 3, according to the pre-medical interns; however, the ministry had financial constraints hence the delay.
Alex Luswata, one of the pre medical interns said while addressing journalists at Galloway House, Mulago in Kampala said that they have given the ministry of health 24 hours to respond to their demands and if they fail, as leaders of pre-medical interns shall go back and consult all colleagues to decide on what next.
Luswata said after a cabinet engagement and decision to deploy medical interns on May 15th, they have been trying to engage different government agencies and ministries, including the ministry of health and ministry of finance but none of them has ever responded to their plight.
The pre-medical interns also claim that they asked the ministry of finance to release funds for payment of allowances to all deployed medical interns.
In addition, they say that they asked Parliament Speaker Anita Among and President Museveni to directly intervene and follow up on their directives to ensure allocation of funds to pay allowances of all deployed medical interns.
Asked to comment on the matter, ministry of health spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyona last evening said the ministry of health is waiting for official communication from the ministry of finance.
