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Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has directed the Ministry of Health to address the deployment issues faced by intern doctors and present a statement to Parliament on the actions taken. Interns cannot be deployed until they complete their training, but current delays are causing significant concerns.

The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, has directed the Ministry of Health to address the issue of intern doctors and present a statement to Parliament regarding the interventions undertaken.

Chairing the House on Thursday, 1 August 2024, the Deputy Speaker stated that interns cannot be deployed in hospitals until they have completed their training. He remarked, “You are telling these interns that they must spend another year at home, despite having completed their studies. They cannot practice until they complete their internship, yet they are not being accommodated. Remember, they lost a significant amount of time during COVID.”

Mr. Tayebwa mentioned that he had received complaints from interns via social media, seeking a resolution to their concerns. He noted, “This issue has persisted year after year. While many professional bodies exist, it seems that only medical interns consistently face such problems.”

He emphasized the urgent need to address the concerns regarding funding and facilities to support medical interns, ensuring their effective deployment.

In his response to the President’s State of the Nation Address, the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, also urged the government to prioritize the deployment of medical interns. He stated, “Interns recently protested, claiming they have studied for five years but have failed to secure deployment. Is the government listening?”

Hon. Ssenyonyi also called on the government to increase funding for medical education through scholarships and incentives for students pursuing medicine and nursing, in an effort to address the shortage of healthcare workers. He added, “Policies should focus on training, recruiting, and retaining healthcare professionals. Accordingly, the government should provide competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain skilled healthcare workers in rural areas.”

Earlier this week, Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Commissioner for Health Services at the Ministry of Health, announced that the Uganda Medical Internship Committee had concluded internship placements for the upcoming year. According to Dr. Mwebesa, the medical internship placements, scheduled from 5 August 2024 to 31 July 2025, will cover graduates who completed their courses in 2023 and earlier.