Government has committed itself to address the challenges faced by medical interns and released about 22.6 billion shillings to clear some outstanding balances for medical interns.
Finance minister Hon. Matia Kasaija said Thursday during the National Budget reading for the financial year 2023/2024 that government is committed to resolving the plight of medical interns and doctors designated as senior house officers.
Kasaija acknowledged the role medical interns and senior house officers play in Uganda’s healthcare system and revealed that he had released some money to clear their arrears.
“Government will in the next few weeks resolve the plight of medical interns and doctors designated as senior house officers, in view of their important role in supporting the healthcare system,”he said.
The finance minister added that he has provided shs. 22.6 billion to clear outstanding arrears for medical interns and senior house officers.
Kasaija’s remark is a sigh of hope to the seemingly frustrated pre-medical Interns who have in the past weeks held protests over their delayed deployment.
The minister of health Jane Ruth Aceng told parliament in April that it lacks funds to facilitate medical interns thus the delayed deployment.
The financial crisis pushed the ministry of health into offering a rather controversial solution to the delayed deployment of medical interns when Dr. Diana Atwiine (permanent secretary to the ministry of health) told students that are able to facilitate their own internship to apply for deployment.
Atwiine said the decision was reached after several parents allegedly approached the ministry requesting that their children are deployed and that they were ready to foot their internship costs.
All medical students in Uganda have to do a mandatory one year internship prior being certified to officially begin work. The delayed release of funds by the ministry of finance to facilitate interns has left many students uncertain about their careers.
