Lawmakers on Parliament’s Public Accountability Committee (PAC) have issued a strong warning to the Ministry of Health, stating that they will refuse to offer any support unless the issue regarding the payment and deployment of medical intern students is promptly resolved by the government.
This development comes after the Ministry requested a budget allocation of Shs80.4billion for the payment of allowances to medical interns, while only Shs8billion was provided for in the 2023/2024 national budget.
Dr. Diana Atwine, the representative of the Ministry of Health, informed the Committee that a high-level meeting between officials from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance was scheduled for Thursday. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and find a solution on how to raise the necessary funds to facilitate the deployment of medical interns before their numbers increase.
Dr. Atwine highlighted that the delay in deploying medical interns could have significant implications for the overall number of interns. She revealed that an additional 2,500 interns are expected to join the workforce soon, potentially resulting in a total of 4,000 interns.
“Our concern is that the delay to deploy is also going to affect the numbers because we are also expecting an additional about 2500 to come out very soon. If they join the existing ones, we will be talking about 4000 interns. So, the earlier resolve this issue is resolved with Ministry of Finance, the better so that our interns are deployed,” said Dr. Atwine, permanent secretary Ministry of Health.
Members of Parliament also had their views on the same topic, for instance Hon. Medard Lubega Ssegona said “We are very resolved on the issue of interns because we know their contribution to the health sector. We are committed to helping and supporting any efforts towards paying these interns both payment of arrears, as well as the current budget, because those that have not been paid and we owe them money are now offering service and non-payment will affect them.”
The threat from the Parliament’s Public Accountability Committee underscores the frustration over the inadequate budget allocation for medical intern allowances and the potential consequences of delayed deployment. The Committee’s stance serves as a clear signal to the Ministry of Health and the government that resolving this issue is of utmost importance to ensure the smooth functioning of the healthcare system.
