Court halts new health ministry policy on medical interns

PIC: Medical students' Lawyer Isaac Semakadde (in a tie) and General Secretary of the Ekwaro Obuku  (extreme right ) celebrate with some students after Court  halted the  implementation of  new guidelines by government  on September 29 2016.Photo by Wilfred Sanya 

Kampala High Court has issued an interim order halting the Health minister Dr. Ruth Aceng and the Attorney General (AG) from the implementation of the new Uganda medical internship guidelines pending the disposal of the main case.

The order was issued on Thursday by the deputy registrar of the civil division of the High Court Alex Ajiji.

He noted that if the implementation of this new policy is not temporarily stopped, the careers of over 1000 medical interns would be at stake since they don't know what Aceng and the Government are planning for them.

"An interim order is hereby issued restraining the respondents, their agents or servants from keeping the career plans of the applicants and other graduates or prospective health professionals in limbo by failing or refusing to post them immediately for a supervised practical training at various training centres in accordance with the already established internship policy for the time being pending the disposal of the main suit." Ajiji said.

They have been summoned for a two-day meeting at Mulago Nursing home beginning on Friday.

Medical students celebrate their victory after Court stopped the implementation of new guidelines by government for internship

 
Ajiji also concurred with the student's lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde that if a temporary injunction is not issued blocking the new policies, their main application seeking to permanently set aside these new policy guidelines that has been fixed for hearing before Justice Lydia Mugambe shall be rendered useless.

After the ruling, the students started to jubilate and vowed not to allow the new policy to be implemented on them.

 
AG was represented by Moreen Ijang who told court that the new guidelines are meant for the benefit of the medical students to streamline the management of the internship programme and to check on their competence.

Shortly after the ruling, Ssemakadde told New Vision that the issuance of the interim order means that the prospective medical doctors, Dental surgeons, pharmacists and nurses should be immediately posted to their respective training centers in order to commence supervised practical training which is a pre-requisite for registration, enrollment, certification and licensure of a qualified and recognized health centres.

Also after the ruling, the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) General secretary Dr. Ekwaro Obuku told New Vision that they were happy that finally the disturbed students have got a temporary relief.

Fauz Kavuma, the President of the UMA said that they were not consulted by the Minister before the drafting of new guidelines.
He said they are also opposed to the pre-entry exams and the bond of students for more two years after course.

 
On September 7, 2016 while appearing before the parliamentary health committee, Dr. Aceng announced a drastic reversal of the internship policy and also explained why there had been an unusual delay in posting medical interns to their various internship/training centres countrywide.

She said the new policy seeks to reduce the number of medical students who will henceforth be admitted on the ministry's internship programme and to vary the terms and conditions of service.

This prompted the over 1000 medical students to drag Aceng to Court challenging the new internship policy that allegedly restricts their access to supervised practical training internship centres.

 
The minister was dragged to court alongside the Attorney General (AG) by a group of students led by Emma Amadriyo, Hakim Senkubuge, Christine Nambi, Getrude Ahimbisibwe and Simon Peter Masera.

In their main application, they want court to issue an order setting aside the new guidelines and order that they are posted to internship training centres to receive supervised practical training on top of paying them same emoluments as the former medical interns.