Under the umbrella Federation of Uganda Medical Interns, bitter medical interns have come out to demand for risk allowances following their involvement in the treatment of COVID-19. The Interns have officially presented their demand to the Parliament COVID-19 task force through their President, Dr. Mary Lilian Nabwire.
The medical interns say that they are currently on the frontline of fighting COVID-19 by offering treatment to patients but the government has not considered giving them risk allowances. According to Nabwire, over 100 medical interns have contracted the deadly COVID-19 and they have not received the best treatment.
Nabwire also told MPs that besides the interns, other medical practitioners in COVID-19 fight are getting risk allowances. She further warned that government’s failure to give them risk allowance could demoralize them, hence affecting service delivery.
According Hon. Abed Bwanika, the Kimanya-Kabonera Division Member of Parliament , risk allowance complaints from interns have headlined their countrywide COVID-19 assessment tour over the past weeks. Other health workers involved in COVID-19 treatment are currently receiving UGX 80,000 per day.
Bwanika also urged the Ministry of Health to facilitate medical interns and other health practitioners involved in the COVID-19 treatment in a bid to defeat the Pandemic.