Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has asked for a clear timeline on the deployment of pre-medical interns and demanded for their immediate deployment.
Dr. Edith Nakku-Joloba, the association’s president has asked government to deploy interns in the shortest time possible and also increase the pay allocated to associate consultants.
“We have two clear requests. We want to ask in the short term that the interns be deployed immediately. Second, that the associate consultants pay he raised,”she said.
According to Dr. Nakku-Joloba, the delayed deployment of medical interns might lead to the collapse of the country’s medical sector.
Like Nakku-Joloba, Joel Mirembe (UMA chairperson central region) says the delayed deployment is affecting the health system as common people are not receiving proper treatment.
The Uganda Medical Association has also applauded government for its commitment to resolve the plight of medical interns and senior house workers.
Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija said last week at the reading of the budget for the financial year 2023/2024 that government had provided about 22 billion to clear outstanding arrears of medical interns and senior house officers.
The provided funds will clear outstanding arrears up to June 2023. However, Kasaija did not reveal government’s plan for the pre-medical interns whose deployment is still pending.
Pre-medical Interns have been home for nearly a year awaiting to be deployed by the ministry of health. The ministry has attributed the delayed deployment to lack of funds to facilitate interns and, in an alternative solution, asked those that can facilitate their internship to apply for deployment.
