The Uganda Dental Association (UDA) has condemned the Ministry of Health's decision to halt the payment of allowances to medical interns, describing the move as exploitative and detrimental to healthcare service delivery across the country.
In a statement, the association said the suspension of allowances demonstrates a disregard for the role played by interns, who it said are critical to the functioning of Uganda's health system, particularly in underserved areas.
"The Uganda Dental Association vehemently denounces the Ministry of Health's decision to halt the payment of allowances to medical interns," the statement reads.
The association argued that interns provide essential patient care, often working under difficult conditions while supporting overstretched health facilities.
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"Interns provide critical patient care, often under grueling conditions and at great personal sacrifice," UDA said. "Denying them their rightful compensation not only subjects them to financial duress but also severely compromises the quality and accessibility of dental and medical services nationwide."
The development comes amid growing opposition from health professional bodies to the government's decision affecting internship allowances, with concerns mounting over its impact on healthcare delivery and the training of future health workers.
UDA demanded that the Ministry of Health immediately reverse the decision and settle all outstanding payments owed to interns.
"The UDA demands an immediate reversal of this misguided policy and the immediate disbursement of all outstanding payments," the association said.
The dental professionals' body also expressed solidarity with other health sector organizations that have opposed the move, including the Uganda Medical Association and nurses' associations.
"We stand in unwavering solidarity with the Uganda Medical Association, the Nurses Association, and all other allied health professionals in rejecting this exploitation and advocating for the rights and welfare of our interns," the statement added.
The Ministry of Health had not immediately responded to the association's demands by press time.
The controversy over internship allowances has intensified in recent weeks, with medical and allied health professionals warning that failure to adequately support interns could undermine service delivery in public health facilities and discourage young professionals from joining the sector.
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