Doctors Warn Scrapping Medical Interns' Allowances Could Cripple Uganda's Health System

The National Senior House Officers (SHO) Secretariat has issued a stark warning that plans to eliminate allowances for medical interns could severely undermine healthcare delivery, weaken clinical training, and pose long-term risks to Uganda's future health workforce. In a statement released this week, the medical professionals implored the government, the Ministry of Health, and other relevant authorities to reconsider the proposed policy and maintain internship allowances.

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This policy undermines clinical training, devalues medical labour, threatens morale, and sets a dangerous precedent for the future of Uganda's health workforce.

The controversy arises from a proposal to integrate pre-registration clinical service into undergraduate medical training, a move critics contend would effectively end remuneration for interns. "This policy undermines clinical training, devalues medical labour, threatens morale, and sets a dangerous precedent for the future of Uganda's health workforce," the statement asserts. The SHOs emphasized that medical interns are not merely students but qualified health professionals delivering essential services in hospitals and health facilities nationwide under supervision.

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Medical interns are not free labour. They are qualified health professionals under supervision, providing essential patient care in wards, theatres, emergency units, labour suites and outpatient departments.

According to the secretariat, interns constitute a critical component of Uganda's healthcare workforce, particularly in public hospitals grappling with persistent staffing shortages. They argue that removing internship allowances would not only devalue interns' contributions but could also negatively impact the morale of young doctors entering the profession. The SHOs further stressed that any reforms affecting internship training should undergo broad stakeholder consultations, involving medical professionals, training institutions, the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), the Federation for Uganda Medical Interns (FUMI), and other sector players.

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Uganda cannot build a functional health system on unpaid doctors.

"Uganda cannot build a functional health system on unpaid doctors," the SHOs declared. This warning adds to growing concerns within the medical fraternity regarding proposed internship reforms. Health workers maintain that while improvements in medical education are necessary, changes should not compromise the well-being and motivation of trainee doctors who play a vital role in patient care. The group called upon the Government, Ministry of Health, and all relevant authorities to urgently review and reverse this decision, protect internship allowances, and engage meaningfully with all stakeholders.

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We call upon the Government, Ministry of Health, and all relevant authorities to urgently review and reverse this decision, protect internship allowances, and engage meaningfully with medical professionals, training institutions, UMA, FUMI and other stakeholders.