21 medical interns at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital have laid down their tools over none payment of their salaries and allowances at work.
Among the interns are doctors, midwives and nurses who supplement the senior permanent staff at the hospital.
The sit down strike begun on Tuesday evening and has paralyzed service delivery at the referral hospital.
Julian Sekibidde, an intern doctor says they have not received salaries for the months of October and November 2011, in addition to food and accommodation allowances for the last five months.
Each intern earns a total of 450,000 shillings for accommodation and feeding and a maximum salary of 750,000 shillings which brings the total to shillings 1.2 million.
He says this has affected their work as they have nowhere to get more money, yet they work for more than 14 hours a day.
Rose Nakatudde, an intern nurse says the morale of the interns is low and this puts the lives of patients at risk. She says the interns have decided to sit down until the hospital administration finds a lasting solution.
Michael Osinde, the Jinja hospital director confirms that the interns have not received any money for the last two months and allowances for the last five months.
He says the sit down strike has affected most wards like the casualty ward nine, Tuberculosis ward five and the maternity wards seven and eight.
He says the hospital has already communicated to the Health and Finance ministries to address the problem.
