Health Minister Issues Ultimatum to Medical Interns Over Deployment

Medical interns across Uganda have been given a strict deadline to report to their designated internship sites. Minister of Health, Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, stated that failure to comply by Saturday, August 15th, 2026, will result in the forfeiture of their internship positions.

This directive follows concerns raised by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, during a parliamentary session. Ssenyonyi highlighted potential industrial action planned by medical interns and doctors nationwide if issues surrounding their facilitation are not resolved.

Dr. Baryomunsi acknowledged the situation, noting that the government is currently finalizing consultations on recent changes to the health training policy. Previously, medical students received a facilitation allowance of shs1,000,000 each during their internship. The Minister urged the interns to report for duty as deployed, assuring them of government’s commitment to finding a lasting solution.

He emphasized that while consultations are ongoing, the interns’ presence at their duty stations is expected. The Minister appealed to the interns to avoid confrontational approaches and to trust the goodwill of the government in resolving the matter.

The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, urged the Minister to expedite the consultation process, suggesting that the matter be raised in Cabinet promptly to provide a definitive position by early the following week.

Under the current medical education and internship policy, a mandatory supervised clinical internship is a prerequisite for medical students to obtain their university degrees.

Source: Parliament of Uganda