ABU DHABI // The Minister of Health will be summoned to the next FNC session to answer questions about medical interns' pay.
Dozens of interns at government hospitals in the Northern Emirates have worked without pay for seven months.
The minister, Dr Abdulrahman Al Owais, said last week they would now get about Dh11,000 a month, half the salary of a newly qualified doctor, backdated to January.
But FNC members want to know what more will be done to support the Emirati interns.
In a written answer, the minister said that as well as their new salary, the interns received annual leave, and sick and maternity leave.
The ministry also intended collaborate with the Ministry of High Education to provide scholarships for further study abroad, and would work to help unemployed Emirati doctors.
Mr Al Owais said the ministry studied internships at the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (Haad) and Dubai Health Authority, and elsewhere, when it drew up its package for the interns.
But interns in Haad are paid more than twice as much.
Not satisfied with the answer, Dr Sheikha Al Owais (Sharjah) asked the minister to attend the next session.
