The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has condemned the Ministry of Health’s directive ordering medical interns to report to their designated hospitals by August 14 or risk forfeiting their internship placements.
Addressing the media on Monday at the party headquarters in Najjanankubi, Vice Chairperson for western region, Robert Centenary Franco described the ultimatum as “reckless” and called for its immediate withdrawal, warning that deploying interns without adequate welfare and facilitation could put both health workers and patients at risk.
“Sending an intern to run a ward without pay, without support, and without even a guarantee that they will be facilitated is not deploying them to save lives. It is putting both patients and interns at risk,” Franco said.
The party said the ongoing strike by medical interns is rooted in the government’s failure to withdraw the disputed National Education and Training for Health Policy and its refusal to guarantee equal welfare and allowances for government-sponsored and privately sponsored interns.
Franco argued that all medical interns serve in government health facilities and should therefore receive equal treatment regardless of how their training was funded.
“The Federation for Uganda Medical Interns has been clear on why the strike continues: Government has not withdrawn the disputed National Education and Training for Health Policy, and it has refused to guarantee equal welfare and allowances for both government-sponsored and privately sponsored interns, yet they are all going to work for Government,” he said.
The FDC also raised concerns about the heavy reliance of Uganda’s public health system on medical interns, particularly amid the country’s shortage of doctors.
Franco said interns are often deployed in critical areas, including wards, theatres and maternity units, and questioned how they are expected to report for duty without food, accommodation or financial support.
“Sincerely, you are sending such a doctor to a hospital without food, without accommodation and with nothing to start from. When did we reach here?” he asked.
The opposition party further criticised government leaders and Members of Parliament for what it described as a disconnect between policymakers and ordinary Ugandans who depend on public health facilities.
“All these leaders and Members of Parliament do not use these hospitals; they access private facilitation and medical insurance at the expense of ordinary Ugandans who pay taxes,” Franco said.
The FDC also faulted the government for failing to establish a functioning National Health Insurance Scheme, arguing that the failure has contributed to the poor state of healthcare services available to the public.
According to the party, Ministry of Health figures put the annual cost of facilitating medical interns at about Shs35.7 billion, while Uganda is estimated to spend between $150 million and $175 million annually sending selected patients abroad for medical treatment.
Franco argued that redirecting part of government savings could provide funding to resolve the internship impasse.
“We have over Shs24 billion in savings from suspended public holiday functions, and this could be redirected to intern facilitation,” he said.
He also cited the reduction of the Office of the Speaker’s budget by Speaker Jacob Oboth Oboth, from more than Shs24 billion to about Shs3.9 billion–Shs4 billion, questioning whether some of the available resources could be redirected to address the funding gap.
“Can’t this money be redirected to fund this gap?” Franco asked.
The FDC has consequently demanded the immediate withdrawal of the August 14 forfeiture ultimatum and a written commitment from the Ministry of Health guaranteeing equal facilitation and allowances for all medical interns, regardless of whether they are government-sponsored or privately sponsored.
The party is also calling for a supplementary budget of at least Shs35.7 billion dedicated to intern facilitation, arguing that the money should be drawn from existing government and parliamentary savings, including the funds identified from suspended public holiday functions.
