President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed that the policy requiring medical students to complete their internship before graduating be corrected, saying graduation and housemanship should be treated as separate processes.
Museveni made the directive after meeting medical interns and leaders of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), led by its president, Dr Frank Asiimwe, at State House Entebbe.
In a message following the meeting, Museveni said the current arrangement should be reviewed to avoid unnecessary delays in the graduation of medical students.
“Graduation and housemanship are separate processes, and we should not waste time by mixing the two,” Museveni said.
Housemanship is the supervised practical training that medical graduates undergo as part of the process of gaining professional experience and meeting requirements for full registration.
The meeting also discussed the welfare of medical interns, including their allowances, access to affordable credit and tax relief for health workers.
Museveni said he had committed to supporting the UMA Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO) to enable health workers to access affordable loans, upgrade their professional skills and create opportunities for self-employment.
“This is a practical way of empowering our medical professionals,” he said.
On interns’ allowances, the President said consultations would continue, with decisions guided by the government’s ability to meet the costs sustainably.
“On interns’ allowances, we shall continue consultations while ensuring that our decisions are guided by affordability and sustainability,” he said.
Museveni also expressed support for proposals to provide tax relief to health workers and improve their access to essential, life-supporting items.
He said the government’s objective was to strengthen the health sector by ensuring that medical professionals were skilled, motivated and empowered to provide quality healthcare to Ugandans.
“Our goal is to build a strong health sector with skilled, motivated and empowered professionals who can deliver quality healthcare to all Ugandans,” Museveni said.
The meeting comes amid ongoing discussions about the welfare, training and working conditions of medical interns and other health workers in Uganda, particularly the need to balance improved remuneration and professional development with the government’s available resources.