By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The Uganda Medical Association has strongly rejected a Ministry of Health proposal to allow Pre-Medical Interns who can afford to apply for internship at Internship centers of their choice.
On 7th June, 2023, the Ministry of Health released a press statement in which it said Pre-Medical interns who can afford to cater for themselves should apply and be deployed.
However, in a press statement released last evening, 7th June, 2023, UMA says, the arrangement is extremely dangerous, discriminatory, not well thought out and will lead to inequality among future health workers.
Signed by the Association’s Secretary General, Dr. Herbert Luswata, the statement advises all pre-medical interns against applying for this deployment calling it a ‘trap.’
Dr. Luswata also says the UMA National Executive Committee sat yesterday, 7th June 2023 and resolved to call an Extra Ordinary General Assembly on Saturday 10th June, 2023 to agree on the way forward.
Dr. Luswata also says the UMA National Executive Committee sat yesterday, 7th June 2023 and resolved to call an Extra Ordinary General Assembly on Saturday 10th June, 2023 to agree on the way forward.
Meanwhile, A section of legislators led by Dr. Timothy Batuwa, has asked Dr. Diana Atwine to urgently rescind her direction of pre-medical interns ready to pay for their internship to apply online for them to be deployed.
In yesterday’s communication, the Ministry of Health said that Pre-medical interns who can afford to cater for themselves can apply for internship at any medical facility of their choice.
According to the press statement released on 7th June, 2023, the arrangement is temporary based on the fact that the Ministry of Finance has not yet released funds to pay the Pre-medical interns while doing their internship.
Furthermore, time is running out and yet there is another bunch medical students who are soon graduating from various medical institutions and will require using the same medical facilities.
“It is against this background that the Ministry of Health requested those Pre-medical interns who in the meantime can afford to apply for deployment in the internship training centers of their choice,” the press statement reads in part.
However, the Ministry of Health has promised to reimburse the interns when the Ministry of Finance avails the funds.
The arrangement follows a meeting the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Diana Atwiine held with the Pre-medical interns yesterday 6th June, 2023 where she revealed that some Premedical interns and parents had approached the Ministry of Health with a suggestion that they can foot their own costs to avoid further loss of time.
