Mulago Intern Doctors Protest Over Delayed Allowances And Appointments
Intern doctors have protested for the second time in about two weeks, demanding placements and the payment of their allowances.
They, were, however, stopped by the police near Mulago National Referral Hospital and some were arrested and driven to the Central Police Station.
Another group was intercepted near Parliament as they attempted to gain access to the August House to deliver their petition to the Speaker of Parliament.
For the second time in slightly under two weeks, a group of medical interns has come out to demonstrate, protesting the delay by the Health Ministry to pay their allowances and also issuing letters giving them placements at hospitals where they can continue with their final training.
Earlier before going out to demonstrate, the intern doctors addressed a press conference at the doctors’ hostel near Mulago Hospital. They spoke about the challenges they face in their work and demanded answers from the Ministry of Health. The angry intern doctors vowed to continue with their protests for a week and even more if nothing is done to resolve their grievances.
After the press conference, they then started marching in their lab courts, holding placards saying that they were taking their grievances heading to the Office of the President and Parliament.
The regular and riot police, were, however, on standby, ready to break the demonstration. The police officers surrounded the protesters and did not allow them to proceed. The intern doctors decided to sit down, holding themselves together.
The Police officers, led by the Wandegeya District Police Commander, picked them up and loaded them onto their patrol pickup truck, and drove them to the central police station.
Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga said that the intern doctors used the wrong approach to raise their grievances and in the process broke the law.
Following the previous protest, the health ministry issues a statement promising to address the grievances of the interns but no action has been taken so far, prompting the interns to hold another demonstration.
Cathy
