Kampala – The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has expressed alarm over the government’s failure to deploy over 1,500 medical interns who qualified in 2023 and 2024.Â
The interns, including doctors, dental surgeons, nursing/midwifery, and pharmacy graduates, are yet to be deployed due to a claimed budget shortfall of 18.5 billion Ugandan shillings by the Ministry of Health.
“The government’s failure to deploy medical interns is unacceptable, especially considering the consistent underfunding of the health sector,” said Dr. Herbert Luswata, President of UMA while addressing journalists in Kampala on Monday. “We urge the government to prioritize the health of Ugandans by addressing this critical issue without delay.” He added
UMA is demanding that the government allocates supplementary funds to deploy the interns immediately. The association also calls for improved planning by the Ministries of Health and Education & Sports to end the vicious cycle of strikes among interns and senior house officers.
Furthermore, UMA is advocating for the enactment of internship and senior house officer training policies into law to ensure quality medical training and well-supported apprenticeship.
The association believes that this will help address the shortage of medical professionals in the country and improve the overall healthcare system.