The police in Gulu City fired teargas to disperse a peaceful demonstration by pre-intern doctors of Gulu University who were protesting delayed deployment in public hospitals and delays in paying their allowances by the health ministry. 

Before moving out to protest, the pre-intern doctors, numbering about 100 led Alfred Amanya to address a press conference and laid out their grievances.

Cabinet has discussed the plight of the intern doctors and agreed that the Government will release funds to pay their arrears but there was no conclusive position on the demands by Medical Officers Special Grade to increase their pay.     

 The police dispersed the pre-intern doctors and removed some placards from them as soon as they hit the streets to begin their demonstration.  

One of the medical pre-intern doctors at Gulu University, Dr. Herbert Ayiko said that it is unfair for the government-sponsored students to be paid allowances, leaving out the privately paid students yet they will later serve in the same medical facilities.

He also noted that many medical students have dropped out because they failed to meet their financial expenses.

Another pre-intern doctor, Peninnah Manono said that their parents sacrificed a lot by selling everything to ensure that they go to school.

The leader of the pre-intern doctors, Alfred Amanya appealed to the government to take matters of the health sector seriously and prioritise the welfare of citizens. He added that they are advocating for vulnerable mothers and other citizens because they cannot fly abroad to seek better healthcare like some government officials who do so at taxpayers' expense.

Allan Kasandeke, the President of Gulu University Medical Students’ Association cautioned that such attacks on the doctors constitute an attack on the poor communities and the country as a whole which they serve. He also noted that it’s the responsibility of all citizens to stand up for their rights.

The doctors appealed to the government to deploy the interns, pay them equally, pay the Senior House Officers or senior doctors to supervise the interns and raise the pay of Medical Officers Special Grade, to preserve the integrity of the medical profession and avoid extortion of money from the poor by some medical workers.

Okot Job