Need for logical, rational debate on medical interns

The NRM government takes credit for creating an enabling environment for boasting population growth particularly through promoting peace and security created and  through rolling out the health sector strategic plan 2020/21 to 2024/25 that aims at ensuring that Uganda has a productive population.  The gains registered by the NRM government, however, are not only attributed to the men in uniform, but they also extend to technocrats and trained human resources like the doctors, who by virtual of the training, require undergoing an internship program in a government approved health facility or an affiliate upon completion of their bachelor’s degree programme. 

Over the years, government has always been at the forefront of posting medical interns to various health facilities across the country and providing them with monthly allowances for the gap they fill within the health sector in the country, however, this is always faced with numerous stampedes ranging from unpaid allowances or failure by government to post all qualified interns yet medical facilities urgently require their services. 

Traditionally during the early 1980s and 1990s when the country only had Makerere University, government would upon completion of university degree bear the responsibility to post/ provide placement to all university graduates, remunerate them particularly those who excelled highly, however, overtime, the shift and priority of government changed particularly with the increase in the number universities, graduates, and tertiary institutions that kept graduating students. 

The number that the government could absorb on merit kept dwindling to date, to the point that placement and remuneration of interns in the field of administration, engineering, teaching, legal among others shifted to individual graduates and sponsors.  With the recent revelation by President Museveni, there is a high prediction that medical interns’ placement is destined to the same path.

President Museveni’s remarks over the weekend further exacerbated the problem of medical interns and further raises many questions in the country namely, (i) Does the government need to recast her priorities? (ii) Should the government amend the policy for medical interns? (iii) Should parents/ sponsors bear the costs for medical intern placements?   (iv) Should NCHE review the curriculum for medical interns to accommodate internships as the fifth year of study? (v) Should NCHE regulate the number of students admitted on medicine or put a cap on those to be admitted? Should there be a quota and roll over on medical intern placement in the country? Will the Ministry of Health recruit more qualified professionals in the health facilities across the country? These and many other questions remain unanswered in the minds of many Ugandans. 

Mindful that the health life of many Ugandans, be it in the rural community or urban peripherals, lies in the tremendous services of medical interns given the backlog experienced by the few qualified medical professionals. Additionally, every citizen’s life in Uganda lies in the hands of Uganda’s health professionals, interns inclusive. We do not have to pretend or under look this noble fact, just like the security and safety of Ugandans relies on the professionalization of the police and army over the years. Those who fly out using taxpayers’ money can’t exempt themselves from the health care system of this country. One day they will collapse from their expensive residences or offices, and they will need a health professional here to stabilise them before they can fly abroad (Germany, USA, India or Aga khan Nairobi) etc. 

Your Excellency, it is worth noting that as a country we need to reconsider our priorities concerning citizen wellbeing, recounting on the achievements achieved by your government so far in various sectors, so let’s treat our health professionals especially the medical interns well. Government needs to build a strong and motivated health care system.

Mr  Peter Katwesige, Monitoring and Evaluation officer, African Peer Review Mechanism, Midrand-Johannesburg South Africa and Former Lecturer, Governance and Political Science.