Medical interns will continue to receive their salary as per President Museveni’s directive to the Finance Ministry.
According to anonymous government sources who talked with this website, the decision was taken at Monday’s Cabinet meeting.
In an interview with Dr. Herbert Luswata, secretary general of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), claimed to have “confirmed the Cabinet resolution.”
Pre-med interns demonstrating prolonged deployment and government threats to cut their stipend were dispersed and arrested by police hours before the resolution was reached.
Officials expressed concern that the administration was overwhelmed by the rising number of medical interns.
“This news has found us here fighting for the freedom of our colleges pending release. We are still at Wandegeya police. God is Great!” Dr David Mugyema, a member of UMA, said Monday evening.
Interns in the medical field include doctors, pharmacists, and nurses who have completed medical school but are still required to complete an internship at a hospital for a full year before they may apply for permanent licensure to practice.
Some of them complained that they have waited for nine months without any sign of deployment.
The monthly salary for the medical interns is Shs2.5m. UMA claims that the government’s small number of employed doctors has led to a decrease in the quality of care provided by public health facilities.