President Yoweri Museveni has suggested that sponsors of medical students, such as parents or loan schemes, should also be responsible for funding their one-year internships, due to the government’s current financial limitations.

This proposal comes as the government struggles to support over 1,900 medical interns deployed across 58 centres nationwide.

During a recent address at State House Entebbe, where Museveni spoke to 210 post-medical interns who had completed a 10-day patriotism and ideological training at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi, he acknowledged the financial difficulties the government faces.

He emphasized that while the government has traditionally funded medical internships, it may not always be feasible due to other pressing financial obligations.

“Who should pay for the internship? Some argue that the government should cover this cost, but the reality is that our financial resources are stretched thin across multiple critical areas like infrastructure and security,” Museveni said. He warned that relying on government funding for internships could lead to delays or non-payment, potentially jeopardizing the future of young medical professionals.

Previously, medical interns, including doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, received a monthly allowance of Shs 2.5 million to cover their living expenses during their internships. However, last year, this amount was reduced to Shs 1 million, and even then, payments were often delayed, prompting frequent strikes and protests. A 2021 directive from Museveni had set the allowance for medical interns at Shs 2.7 million, with variations for other medical roles, but this has not been consistently upheld.

In response to the ongoing financial challenges, Museveni suggested that the same entities or individuals who sponsor medical students during their studies should continue to do so during the internship year.

“If your education was funded by the government, a loan scheme, State House, or your parents, they should also cover your internship. This would remove the uncertainty of waiting for government funds,” he proposed.

He also highlighted the need for the government to hire more consultants to oversee the interns, suggesting that this could ease the burden on the health sector.

Despite the government’s allocation of Shs 35 billion in the FY 2024/25 budget for the new cohort of medical interns, delays in fund release have prevented the Ministry of Health from deploying these interns to hospitals and health centres.

Museveni urged the medical community to support his ongoing efforts to increase the health budget, which would allow the government to create more positions in health centre IIIs and IVs, thereby employing more doctors.

Museveni also pledged to assist qualified doctors in establishing private health facilities and encouraged them to consider careers in the army or police as medical professionals, recognizing that not all graduates can be absorbed into government positions.

Minister for the Presidency Babirye Milly Babalanda praised the Patriotism Secretariat for their successful training program for the post-medical interns, calling it a “unique and strategic initiative.”

Representing the post-medical interns, David Mugyema expressed deep appreciation for Museveni’s unwavering support of medical practitioners and his efforts to transform Uganda’s health sector through education.

This latest development underscores the ongoing challenges in Uganda’s healthcare sector, as the government grapples with limited resources while trying to meet the growing demands of its population.