Medical interns sue health minister

Sep 23, 2016

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.

PICTURE: Minister of Health, Dr. Ruth Aceng

Over 1000 medical students have dragged the Minister of Health, Dr. Ruth Aceng to Court challenging the new internship policy that allegedly restricts their access to supervised practical training internship centres.

The Minister was dragged to civil division of the High court alongside the Attorney General (AG) by a group of students led by Emma Amadriyo, Hakim Senkubuge, Christine Nambi, Gadrude Ahimbisibwe and Simon Peter Masera yesterday.

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.

The group consists of prospective medical doctors, Dental surgeons, pharmacists and nurses who ought to have been posted by the ministry of health in August 2016 to various internship centres country wide to commence supervised practical training which is a pre-requisite for registration, enrolment, certification and licensure of a qualified and recognized health professional.

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.

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.

Meanwhile, the court registrar has summoned the Minister and AG to file their defence in two weeks or else the case will be heard and disposed-off in their absence.

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