By Mariam Namakula
Police has arrested 37 medical interns that had managed to walk to the parliament in a bid to meet the speaker over the Uganda Health Exhibition online protests.
Last week, Dr Spire Ssentongo, a cartoonist and author announced the launch of an online protest dubbed “HealthExibition” where citizens would share pictures, videos and other harrowing stories about their experience in health facilities.
By day break today, many Ugandans across the world had started sharing some of the issues they feel should be fixed within the sector by the government.
In one of the videos posted online, one Ms Judith Nalukwago, one of the medical intern said that for almost a year now, there has been a delayed deployment of interns owing it to the lack of funds however halting their acquisition of their practicing licenses.
She adds however, that the sorry state of the health facilities in the Country demands that the Ministry of health deploys them as soon as possible since they account for over 70% of the hospital work load and thus the delay in deployment slows down the already suffering sector.
Just last week News 24/7 visited Omugo, a hospital in Terego District, West Nile that didn’t have power, had a generator without fuel, had surgeons using torches to perform surgeries, and midwives using phone lights to deliver babies. Watch documentary… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA0DZBX4Mec&t=553s
The arrest comes shortly after medical interns that were halted at their premises of Gallow way house at Mulago where they had resumed a peaceful walk to demonstrate against delayed deployment by the Ministry of health.
Dr. Henry Mwebesa, Director General Health Services, interns were meant to be deployed by April 3, however a letter dated March 31, indicated that there was a delayed commencement of the internship owing it to the smooth transition of medical interns completing their time out as the new ones await for deployment.
The announcement did not settle well for the new interns that opted for a demonstration on April 11
Today’s demonstration concedes with an online campaign dubbed #UgandaHealthExihibition that puts a spot light on Uganda failing health care system and is expected to run for an entire week.
