At least 600 medical workers in Uganda on Monday started an industrial action over unpaid allowance.
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua by telephone that the ministry is aware of the strike.
Ainebyoona said Senior House Officers (SHOs), also known as Postgraduate Student Doctors, currently undergoing specialized training, have gone on strike over unpaid allowances for about five months.
“We have tried to engage the Ministry of Finance, but they are saying they have no money at the moment,” he said. “However, the health sector will not be crippled because of this strike. We have enough health workers to take care of the situation as we sort out their concerns.”
The official added that the same issue of lack of funds had delayed the recruitment of medical interns at referral hospitals across the country.
The leaders of the SHOs said in a statement issued earlier that they are also demonstrating over the government’s plan to scrap allowances for the SHOs starting in the next financial year. During the strike, they would offer emergency services.
The SHOs are qualified medical doctors registered with the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council. They are currently undergoing specialized training to become orthopedics, ophthalmology surgeons, pediatricians, cardiologists, oncologists, and gynecologists, among others. Enditem