Striking intern medics withdraw case against govt

Striking intern medics under their umbrella body, the Federation for Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI), have withdrawn a case challenging the legality of their dismissal from hospitals.
When the case came up for hearing yesterday, presiding Judge Musa Ssekaana heard that FUMI and  the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) received an affidavit from the director general of health services,  Dr Henry Mwebesa, reversing his directive to have the interns return for duty.

“This application is overtaken by events after the said letter was reversed. This application stands dismissed with no orders as to costs,” Justice Ssekaana ruled.
The intern medics had sued Attorney General Kiryoowa Kiwanuka, Dr Mwebesa and the Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, seeking a court order to quash their dismissal from the hospitals within a period of one week from the date of issuance of the letter on December 10.

In a letter dated December 17, government agreed to enhance allowances for intern doctors to Shs2.5m, pharmacists (Shs2m) and nurses/midwives (Shs1.5m) per month, inclusive of arrears, to be paid from July 1 to November 6.
The nurses have, however, rejected the increment, demanding that it is doubled.
Senior house officers (clinical postgraduate students) will also be paid an allowance of Shs2.5m.

It was further agreed that the funds for payment of intern doctors’ allowances will be transferred to the accounts of the internship training centres starting from December 20, and FUMI executive agreed to meet with their members to call off the industrial action and resume work then.
 “The period for which some interns were on industrial action shall be compensated by extending internship of those affected by equivalent period for which they stayed away, and they will be paid their allowances accordingly,” the letter reads in part.

“The directive of the director general health services to hospital directors dated December 10, 2021 Ref. ADM 170/264/01 asking medical interns to vacate hospital premises is rescinded,” the letter reads further.
The intern medics had sought a declaration that the procedure and decision adopted by the respondents in response to the industrial action by Dr Mwebesa is irrational and unjustified.

Dr Faith Nabushawo, the president of FUMI, explained that on May 17, members of FUMI went on a nationwide sit down strike to collectively bargain for better working conditions, remuneration, improved accommodation, among others.
Dr Mwebesa and the Ministry of Health in a letter dated December 10 directed all medical interns to vacate hospital premises where they are doing their internship.
However, when the doctors peacefully matched to Parliament to deliver a petition to Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, they were arrested and charged with inciting violence.

Through their lawyers of Rita Aceng Ogwang Advocate, the interns sought for general, aggravated and punitive damages for mental anguish, plight suffered by their bodies, immense stress caused by the irrational and arbitrary directive.
They had also sought for no order on costs of their application citing that it is a public interest matter.