Medical Interns Reject Government Plan to Scrap Internship Allowances
By Kyeyune Ali
KAMPALA – Medical interns under their umbrella body, the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI), have expressed concern over the government’s proposal to phase out monthly internship allowances, warning that the move could worsen the financial challenges faced by young doctors during one of the most demanding stages of their medical careers.
Speaking at a press briefing held at Mulago Guest House on Tuesday, FUMI President Dr. Silver Ssegonga said the proposed changes under the National Education and Training for Health (NETH) policy have left thousands of current and prospective interns uncertain about their future.
The Ministry of Health recently released the placement list for 2,290 pre-interns, with deployment expected to begin in August. However, concerns remain over the implementation of the NETH policy, which proposes integrating the mandatory one-year internship into university degree programmes and replacing the current monthly internship allowance with meals.
Dr. Ssegonga said the existing allowance is already insufficient to meet the rising cost of living and the demands of internship.
“Medical interns work long hours and provide a significant proportion of healthcare services in public hospitals. The current support is inadequate, and instead of removing it, government should consider increasing it to Shs4 million per month to match the realities interns face,” he said.
In 2021, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni directed that medical interns’ monthly allowance be increased from Shs1 million to Shs2.5 million, a decision that was welcomed by the medical fraternity. The latest proposal has therefore sparked widespread concern among young doctors and other health workers.
The Federation for Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI) and the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) have jointly rejected the government’s proposal to replace the allowance with free meals. They argue that interns incur unavoidable expenses, including rent, transport, and other daily necessities, which cannot be addressed through meals alone.
According to the two organizations, medical interns shoulder more than 70 percent of the workload in many public hospitals, making them an essential part of Uganda’s healthcare system.
Meanwhile, several pre-interns have threatened to reject deployment unless the government clearly states whether they will continue receiving their monthly living allowance.
The uncertainty has raised fears of possible disruptions to internship placements and service delivery in public health facilities if the dispute is not resolved before the August deployment.
Medical leaders are now calling on the government to engage stakeholders and find a solution that safeguards both the welfare of medical interns and the country’s healthcare system.