BARYOMUNSI: There is nothing to negotiate with striking medical interns, let them go

Minister for ICT and National Guidance Dr. Chris Baryomunsi has said that government will not negotiate with the striking medical interns.

Baryomunsi said that the letter from the Ministry of Health still stands, and all striking medical interns should vacate government hospitals by Friday this week.

Baryomunsi made these remarks while appearing on NBS Morning Breeze, Tuesday.

“They have not been working for six weeks. Has the world stopped?” Baryomunsi said.

Adding, “What is there to negotiate? All the issues they raised have been addressed. If they have any other issues beyond welfare, let them let us know.”

Baryomunsi said that an intern’s interest should be to do the internship very well and pass instead of engaging in strikes which he said are “time wasting.”

Baryomunsi said that interns had legitimate concerns and the government addressed them by allocating money in the supplementary budget, therefore they have no reason to keep striking yet the money is on its way.

“About shs 19 billion was allocated to enhance salaries of medical interns in the supplementary budget. The interns also know that the money is available. It is these politicians confusing them,” Baryomunsi said.

“We also discussed in Cabinet that starting the next financial year, we shall raise public servants' pay starting with scientists. They are not being reasonable, seeing as the government has responded to their concerns,” he added.

Shadow Minister for Health, Dr. Timothy Batuwa said that as the alternative government, they stand with the striking interns and he called upon government to address their needs immediately.

“These people are not out to fight, as you have seen, emergency services are still being provided. The government should fix their issues immediately,” Batuwa said.

Batuwa said that medical interns are hands-on with patients and do most of the work in referral hospitals yet the environment they work in is not safe.