President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to support medical workers through affordable credit, possible tax relief and improved access to essential supplies following a meeting with medical interns and leaders of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA).
Museveni said his government would support the UMA Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCO) to help health workers access affordable loans, upgrade their professional skills and create self-employment opportunities.
In a statement following the meeting at State House Entebbe, the President said empowering medical professionals financially was an important step towards strengthening Uganda’s healthcare system.
“I committed to supporting the UMA SACCO to enable health workers to access affordable credit, upgrade their skills and create opportunities to employ themselves,” Museveni said.
The meeting was attended by medical interns and a UMA delegation led by its president, Dr Frank Asiimwe, as discussions focused on challenges affecting medical training, working conditions and the welfare of health professionals.
Museveni also directed that the policy requiring medical students to complete their internship before graduating be corrected, arguing that graduation and housemanship should be treated as separate processes.
He said combining the two processes was unnecessary and could lead to delays in the transition of medical students into the next stage of their professional careers.
“Graduation and housemanship are separate processes, and we should not waste time by mixing the two,” the President said.
The directive could provide relief to medical students who have faced delays linked to the requirements governing graduation and internship placement, although details of the proposed policy changes were not immediately provided.
On the issue of interns’ allowances, Museveni said the government would continue consultations before making a decision, stressing that any measures adopted must be financially sustainable.
He also expressed support for proposals to introduce tax relief for health workers and improve their access to essential items needed to support their work and personal welfare.
The discussions come amid continuing concerns over the welfare of medical professionals, including remuneration, training opportunities and the resources available to healthcare facilities.
Museveni said the government’s objective was to develop a stronger health sector supported by skilled, motivated and financially empowered professionals.
“Our goal is to build a strong health sector with skilled, motivated and empowered professionals who can deliver quality healthcare to all Ugandans,” he said.
However, the implementation timelines for the proposed SACCO support, tax relief and changes to the graduation policy were not outlined in the statement.