The government has defended its decision to remove allowances for medical interns, arguing that the policy is intended to expand internship access to all qualifying medical graduates amid the growing number of students completing health-related degrees.Speaking to journalists at Parliament shortly after his vetting as the new Minister of Health, said the previous internship support model had become difficult to sustain due to the increasing number of universities training doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals.According to Baryomunsi, the allowance system was introduced at a time when Uganda had only a few medical schools (Makerere University and Mbarara University) and a smaller number of graduates entering the health sector.However, the rapid expansion of both public and private universities offering medical programmes has significantly increased the number of students requiring internship placement every year.He explained that under the current arrangement, limited government resources have often left many qualified graduates unable to proceed for internship because the government could not facilitate all of them.“To address this challenge, a decision was taken to remove the allowance so that all doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and other health workers who complete training from both public and private universities can undertake internship without being limited by lack of resources,” Baryomunsi said.Under the new policy, which takes effect in August 2026, a medical internship will officially become part of university training rather than a post-graduation programme.As a result, interns will no longer receive the monthly government allowance that has traditionally supported them during clinical placement in hospitals.The government argues that the policy is intended to create equal opportunities for graduates from both public and private universities, many of whom privately finance their education but previously depended on government-funded internship support.Baryomunsi acknowledged that the decision has both advantages and challenges but maintained that it was made in good faith to ensure all qualifying students are able to proceed with internship training.The policy has nevertheless attracted criticism from medical students and health professionals who argue that internship remains financially demanding due to transport, accommodation, feeding, and long hospital working hours.The reforms are expected to mark a major shift in Uganda’s medical training system as the government seeks to balance expanding internship opportunities with increasing pressure on public healthcare financing.The post Government Defends Decision to Scrap Medical Intern Allowances was written by the awesome team at Campus Bee.