Medical pre-interns demand implementation of 2021 presidential directive

21 July 2026, 5:15 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

Medical pre-interns have today held a press conference in Kampala to outline their concerns, including demanding the implementation of the 2021 presidential directive on medical internship.

Addressing the media on behalf of the group, Dr. Silver said many medical pre-interns continue to face numerous challenges and urged the Ministry of Health to address their concerns.

“We want to make it clear to the general public that medical interns are not students but qualified doctors capable of handling various medical responsibilities. We therefore demand the full deployment of all available pre-interns to help fill the existing gaps in the healthcare system. We also call for the timely payment of interns’ allowances and the withdrawal of the NETH policy,” he said.

He added that the policy does not favour medical interns and that despite writing to the relevant authorities, they have not received any response.

“This policy disadvantages medical interns. We have written to the concerned authorities, but we have not received any feedback. As August approaches, we urge the government to address these issues. We also ask the authorities to consult stakeholders such as the Uganda Medical Association and the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns. Only a few interns benefited from the presidential directive, and only for one year, which we believe is unfair. Medical interns perform nearly 70 percent of the work in hospitals. We therefore demand that interns receive an allowance of at least UGX 4 million,” he said.

The group further argued that interns’ allowances are essential because they cater for accommodation and meals.

“We urge the responsible authorities to ensure that these allowances are paid monthly rather than quarterly. Monthly payments would help reduce financial hardship and curb corruption. If interns are not paid their allowances, how are they expected to survive?” one of the pre-interns said.

Namutebi Florence, one of the current medical interns, described the situation as unfortunate, saying some of those supporting the policy are doctors who understand the difficulties faced during internship.

“As the Federation of Uganda Medical Interns, we cannot support this policy because it will negatively affect healthcare service delivery in Uganda. The current batch of interns has only about 10 days remaining in their internship. We therefore request an immediate response from the Ministry of Health and call upon all stakeholders to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves,” she said.