Mozambique: Medical students protest at abolition of their allowances

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Mozambique: Medical students protest at abolition of their allowances

11:36 CAT | 15 Jul 2025

Filipe-Izidro-representante-do-Movimento-Estudantil

Photo: AIM

The Mozambican National Union of Students (UNE) has expressed dissatisfaction at government’s repeal of a decree which guaranteed the payment of an allowance to medical graduates during their clinical internship.

The measure provided for an allowance corresponding to 80 percent of the salary for entry into the general medical career, plus special bonuses and other benefits applicable to medical graduates.

In a letter to the Health Ministry, the students called on the government to reconsider its decision to cut allowances to medical students because “the measure puts national public health at risk.”

According to UNE spokesperson Filipe Izidro, who was speaking to reporters on Monday, since Mozambique is a country with a structural shortage of doctors, “this repeal jeopardizes not only the dignity of the students, but also the quality of medical training and the national response to the human resources crisis in health.”

“The allowances, which have been in force for more than 20 years, made it possible to minimize the financial burden on students during their internship, particularly in terms of food, transport and the purchase of personal protective equipment, at a time when many hospitals are facing a shortage of basic resources”, he said.

According to the students, the measure “violates national legal provisions and international commitments made by Mozambique, which require internships of more than six months to be remunerated. The UNE also claims that the repeal violates conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,”

The withdrawal of the allowances, Izidro said, jeopardizes the dignity of students, the quality of medical training and, by extension, public health.

“We believe that with political will and a commitment to Mozambican youth, it is possible to find alternatives that respect students’ rights, value medical training and strengthen the National Health System”, he said.

Source: AIM