Medical interns under the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI) have threatened to withdraw emergency services by the end of the week if the government does not reinstate their allowances.
The interns have been on strike since December 10 in protest at the withdrawal of their allowances by the government. They say the Ministry of Health has not responded to their letters seeking an explanation.
The interns were earning Shs 1 million per month to cater for their living costs.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, Dr Jacob Mwadha, the federation president, said the silence from the ministry had worsened the situation.
“I want to mention that if at all we are not answered to, by Sunday we shall withdraw even the emergency services,” Mwadha said.
Some of the emergency services offered by the interns in hospitals are: handling immediate patient assessment, resuscitation of patients in case of cardiac arrests, trauma; stabilizing acute conditions; managing surgical emergencies, and assisting with life-saving interventions.
The interns said they had learnt that the government stopped the allowances after concluding that the payments amounted to double compensation for those on the government payroll. They dispute this interpretation.
“The letter was saying that if you are an intern and on a government payroll, you do not deserve an allowance because this amounts to double pay. But the public service standing orders are clear that these are allowances and not salaries,” Mwadha said.
Dr Derrick Kayondo, the chief resident for the Nationwide programme, urged the government to act quickly to prevent a crisis in public hospitals.
“We still seek guidance and help from the Ministry of Health to respond to this. Let them pay these people because they are sacrificing a lot,” he said.
Dr Joseph Atuha, the federation’s vice president, argued that interns who were removed from the payment schedule had been deployed away from their usual stations and needed allowances to survive.
“They come from wherever they come and are deployed in different stations, so they need allowances. There is no law prohibiting them from getting their payments,” he said.
The government had earlier stopped the recruitment of interns, citing a lack of funds, but reversed the decision after discussions with the Uganda Medical Association (UMA). The current group of interns started work in August 2025 and are expected to serve for one year.
