Get back to work or quit, govt tells striking medical interns May 19, 2021 Dr Henry Mwebesa Government has ordered the striking medical interns to either get back to work or leave the programme and return when the government is able to meet their allowance demands. On Monday this week, medicals interns laid down their tools in protest over the government's failure to increase their allowances in the 2021/2022 national budget and provision of free housing. The government has earlier committed to increasing the allowances from Shs 960,000 to Shs 3 million. Medical interns are health workers who have completed their undergraduate training in the medical field from various universities within or outside the country. These include medical doctors, dental surgeons, nurses, midwives and pharmacists. They are deployed in government facilities to undergo 12 months of supervised training and turn the theoretical knowledge into practical clinical skills in preparation for joining the health workforce.