Dr Henry Mwebesa, a senior official in President Museveni Government’s Ministry of Health could be in trouble after medical interns gave him a two-day ultimatum to withdraw his directives firing and ordering them (intern doctors) to vacate hospital premises.
In his capacity as the director general of health services at the health ministry, Dr Mwebesa directed directors of hospitals to compel striking medical interns to vacate premises of health facilities in preparation for a fresh batch expected in 2022.
In short, Dr Mwebesa fired striking intern doctors.
But doctors, under the Uganda Medical Association (Uma) warned Mwebesa against intimidating interns, who had declared a strike under their umbrella body, Federation of Uganda Medical Interns (Fumi).
Meanwhile, pre-intern doctors have also announced a boycott of all government hospital, leaving the health system vulnerable to a looming crisis.
Now, Fumi and Uma have vowed to sue Dr Mwebesa if he doesn’t withdraw his directive firing medical interns.
According to a letter dated December 13, the associations have instructed he Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (Cehurd) to sue Mwebesa if he doesn’t recall his orders.
Cehurd’s executive director Moses Mulumba has accused the director general of resorting to “irregular, unorthodox and unconstitutional means of resolving a lawful industrial action by directing medical Interns on strike to vacate the Hospital Premises within one week which is unacceptable and not justifiable in a free and democratic society in Uganda.”
Mulumba wondered: “What a callous a decision!”
Cehurd has since made it clear they will sue if Mwebesa doesn’t recall the directives he made on November 10 in two days’ time.
“By this Correspondence, you are hereby requested to recall the said directive within a period of two days from the date hereof failure of which our instructions are to seek redress from the Courts of Law,” further wrote Mulumba.
“By a copy of this Letter the Hon, Attorney General of the Government of Uganda is put to notice of our Clients’ intention to sue if the said irregular and illegal directive by yourself is not recalled with the time herein.”
Dr Mwebesa, Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs have confirmed receipt of the notice by Fumi and Uma, as issued for them by Cehurd.
