By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has appealed to the government to consider creating an emergency fund to address the plight of medical interns who have been left without placement.
During a media engagement on Wednesday, UPC spokesperson Sharon Oyat Arach emphasized the need for the government to immediately absorb the 1,200 affected medical interns and provide a better welfare package for them.
Over the weekend, President Museveni disclosed that the government does not have sufficient money to fund medical interns and proposed that organizations and parents who have been supporting these medics undergraduate education should sponsor their internship.
“Why don’t we agree that a person who has qualified as a medical doctor after five years in the medical school, continues with the internship but with sponsorship from the person who sponsored him in the first place?”said President Museveni.
But, UPC says the move is in the wrong direction and should be rescinded. They rejected the government policy requiring parents and guardians to pay for medical internship of their children.
“If government says they do not have money, it should be no money for everyone. You cannot tell me you have money for a particular group of people and others,” said Arach. “As UPC, we are saying no to this policy, and we are rejecting it. We are saying government must find money to take these medical interns for their internship to be able to learn and become productive citizens of the country.”
The UPC spokesperson criticized the government’s allocation of substantial amounts of funds spent on non-essential areas, such as the handouts for musicians. She urged Ugandans to demand a shift in the governance of the country to prioritize social service delivery and effective utilization of funds.
“Do we still need to be in power with such a government where they are only caring about themselves but not the actual Ugandans that are suffering? It is high time you rethink the kind of country you want. It’s high time you rethink the priorities as a Ugandan and come 2026 you choose how you want your life to be.”
Arach also called for improved conditions of service for all medical workers and upgraded medical facilities across the country. She stressed that this would help to boost morale of medical workers and enhance the quality of healthcare services in Uganda.
