The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) has asked the Ministry of Health to facilitate medical interns to report to their respective internship centres and rescind a directive requiring them to report by August 14, 2026, or forfeit their placements.
In a letter to the Minister of Health, PSU said a number of intern pharmacists are unable to report because they lack money for transport and basic necessities, particularly those who were privately sponsored at university.
Dr. Lutoti Stephen, Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda, said the welfare challenges facing interns require urgent government intervention.
“We are concerned by the directive that medical interns who do not report by 14th August 2026 shall forfeit their placement. Through our professional oversight, we have observed that a number of intern pharmacists are unable to report because they lack the means to travel to their internship centres,” he wrote.
PSU said the Ministry should review the National Education and Training for Health Policy 2025 (NET4H), particularly provisions relating to the welfare of medical interns.
The Society argues that interns are service providers in training rather than ordinary students and should therefore receive adequate facilitation to enable them to report and undertake their duties.
PSU is also calling for an increase in the monthly internship allowance from the current Shs1 million to at least Shs2.5 million, citing the workload handled by medical interns in health facilities.
According to the Society, the allowance should be paid consistently throughout the internship period, in line with a presidential directive issued in 2021.
The pharmacists’ body further wants the Ministry to prioritise the recruitment and deployment of pharmacists in public health facilities, warning that Uganda’s pharmaceutical and health supplies plans cannot be effectively implemented without adequate staffing.
PSU said pharmacist staffing remains particularly low across public health facilities, with fill rates of 34.5% in general hospitals, 24.6% in regional referral hospitals and just 2.3% in Health Centre IVs, while Health Centre IIIs have no pharmacists.
The Society also called for the operationalisation of the District Pharmacist position provided for under the National Medicines Policy.
It proposed that the position could be designated as Assistant District Health Officer (Pharmaceutical Services) to provide technical oversight of pharmaceutical services at district level.
Dr. Lutoti said strengthening the pharmacist workforce is critical given the large amounts of public money allocated to medicines and health supplies.
“Adequate staffing with pharmacists and proper welfare of intern pharmacists are critical to ensuring the safety, rational use of medicines, and quality of care for Ugandans,” he added.
PSU urged the Ministry of Health to urgently engage the Society and other stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the challenges affecting medical interns and pharmaceutical services in the country.
