By Leonard Kamugisha Akida
KAMPALA
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has asked Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi to immediately withdraw the August 14 ultimatum requiring medical interns to report to their previous deployment stations.
The demand follows a strike by medical interns over unresolved concerns about their welfare, including the proposed National Education and Training for Health Policy and disparities in facilitation between government-sponsored and privately sponsored interns. More than 2,400 medical interns have refused to report to government hospitals, demanding payment of their monthly allowances before deployment.
Government will fund medical interns trained under government sponsorship, Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi told parliament, adding that funding for privately sponsored graduates remains under review.
Speaking to journalists at the FDC headquarters in Kampala on Monday, Franco Robert Centenary, the party’s deputy chairman for the Western region, said deploying interns without adequate facilitation puts both health workers and patients at risk.
“Sending an intern to run a ward without support, and not even with a guarantee that they will be facilitated, is not deploying them to save lives. It is putting both patients and interns at risk,” Centenary said.
The FDC opposed Baryomunsi’s ultimatum, which threatens interns with forfeiture if they fail to report to their former deployment stations.
“We demand the immediate withdrawal of the August 14 forfeiture ultimatum and a written commitment from the Ministry of Health guaranteeing equal facilitation and allowances for all medical interns, government-sponsored and privately sponsored alike,” Centenary said.
Centenary said medical interns play a critical role in Uganda’s health system, particularly in public hospitals, where they work in wards, theatres and maternity units.
“If you walk into any government hospital today, you will find medical interns on the wards, in theatre and in maternity units at 2:00am. Sincerely, you are sending such a doctor to a hospital without food, accommodation and nothing to start with. When do we reach here?” he asked.
He urged the Government to prioritise funding for medical interns, saying resources could be redirected from other expenditures to meet their facilitation needs.
Centenary proposed that part of the money spent on medical tourism, approximately Shs175 million USD and the estimated Shs24 billion funds saved from suspended public holidays be considered to bridge the funding gap for intern facilitation.
The FDC also urged Parliament to scrutinise the Government’s response to the interns’ grievances. However, Baryomunsi maintained that government will fund medical interns trained under government sponsorship, adding that funding for privately sponsored graduates remains under review.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja is expected to present a comprehensive report on the status of medical interns to Parliament on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
Centenary urged MPs to critically examine the report and ensure that the interns’ welfare concerns are addressed before they are compelled to return to work.
The FDC said the estimated Shs35.7 billion required for intern facilitation should be treated as an essential investment in the country’s health system rather than an optional expenditure.
