Class subsidy cut generates controversy

The Mozambican government recently broke its silence on the controversial cut in medical intern subsidies, justifying the decision by citing an accumulated debt of approximately 100 million meticais. According to the government, the measure aims to ensure fiscal sustainability, considering that the continued payment of these subsidies has become unsustainable in the current economic climate.

However, the decision was not well received by final-year medical students, who are directly affected. Last Monday, at least one Student Association met with the Ministry of Health to express their dissatisfaction with the revocation of the decree that previously guaranteed these payments during the mandatory internship.

According to student representatives, the repeal of the decree represents a serious setback for the value of healthcare professionals in training. The students argue that internships, a mandatory and practical part of medical training, require complete dedication and, often, their own resources, at a time when they provide essential services in public hospitals.

"We are being treated as volunteers, but with a workload equivalent to that of fully practicing doctors. The withdrawal of the subsidy devalues our role and worsens our already difficult financial situation," lamented a spokesperson for one of the associations.

The students warn that the cuts could lead to the abandonment of internships, directly impacting the operation of healthcare facilities, which rely on the support of final year students to meet the shortage of professionals. They therefore demand that the Ministry of Health urgently reevaluate the measure, or risk intensifying pressure, including demonstrations and symbolic strikes.

The Ministry promised to study the case but offered no immediate solutions. Tensions are growing within medical schools, and students have vowed to remain mobilized until their rights are restored.