Medical interns who fail to report to their assigned duty stations by Saturday, 15 August 2026, risk losing their placements, Minister of Health Dr Chris Baryomunsi has warned.
Baryomunsi issued the warning during plenary on Wednesday, 12 August, in response to concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi over the ongoing dispute surrounding the facilitation of medical interns.
Ssenyonyi told Parliament that medical interns and doctors across the country could resort to industrial action if Government fails to resolve the matter.
He said he had received a communication from the Uganda Medical Association indicating plans for industrial action if Government did not address the concerns over the facilitation of medical interns within 14 days.
The dispute follows a change in the health training policy under which Government scrapped the Shs1 million payment previously provided to each medical student undertaking internship.
Baryomunsi said consultations on the policy were still ongoing but insisted that interns should report to their assigned duty stations as the Government works to find a solution.
“We have held cordial discussions with the medical interns and we urge them to heed to their deployments. They should not be misguided,” he said.
He assured Parliament that Government appreciates the role played by medical interns and is committed to resolving their concerns, while urging them to avoid confrontational approaches.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa urged the Minister to expedite the consultations and provide a clear position on the matter.
Under the medical education and internship policy, medical students are required to complete a mandatory supervised clinical internship before they can receive their university degrees.
