Uganda: Govt to Pay All Medical Interns Shs1.2m Monthly

The Ugandan government has announced that it will continue to provide a monthly stipend of Shs1.2 million to all medical interns, subject to tax, as part of a broader review of the internship training policy in the health sector. Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi presented the Cabinet resolution to Parliament on Tuesday during a session chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.

The policy will apply to both government-sponsored and privately sponsored students. Additionally, the government has expanded internship centers to 77 locations to accommodate 2,490 medical interns expected to start their training this year. This decision comes after a dispute over the government's earlier move to withdraw internship facilitation, which was perceived as treating internships as informal training rather than formal employment.

Health Minister Baryomunsi also revealed that President Museveni believes that the salaries of medical professionals should be exempted from taxes, similar to security personnel, but this issue is still under discussion. The Minister addressed the arrest of eight pre-interns who tried to access Parliament to voice their concerns over the changes to internship facilitation, stating that the Ministry will work with the Judiciary and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to have the charges dropped.

The Minister presented the National Internship Policy to Parliament, aiming to standardize medical professional training and set competency standards for interns. The opposition welcomed the restoration of facilitation and the review of the internship policy, stating that these changes could help resolve ongoing disputes in the health sector.