The medical workers’ strike was indeed real as it continued to manifest itself in different forms. In Jinja, the strike claimed an expectant mother and a teacher at Victoria Junior School Rehema Karwege who was rushed to the hospital with advanced labor pains but died at the Out-Patient department after she found no medic to attend her in time.

The deceased relative told NBS TV that the death could have been prevented if they had found a medic on duty but only watched helplessly as she passed on. “She had high blood pressure, a time came when she needed a specialist to operate her but none was there for her.” “No doctor was willing to help her because of the strike.” “They told us that before we see death minus help we do not value them as doctors so it is time for us to learn.” The Ambulance driver who drove the patient to the government hospital said her health deteriorated after staying at the hospital for almost an hour without being attended to. “We brought her to the hospital when she was still alive, we even put her to the hospital bed but passed on later on. She has a pregnancy.”

Meanwhile, the situation remained tense at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital with several patients opting to return home. This made it the fourth death at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital since the medical workers’ strike started last week.