A coalition of Uganda’s health professionals has rejected the National Education and Training for Health (NETH) Policy 2025, saying it requires broader consultation before implementation.
The position was presented by Uganda Medical Association President Dr. Frank Asiimwe, who spoke on behalf of doctors, pharmacists, dentists and nurses under a multidisciplinary coalition.
The group warned that the proposed reforms could significantly affect the structure of medical training in the country if implemented without further engagement.
At the centre of their concern is a proposal that would change how medical internship is handled, including scrapping allowances for interns and requiring internship training before graduation.
Health professionals say the changes would effectively extend medical training by an additional year, despite existing accredited academic curricula.
“This policy seeks to scrap allowances for medical interns and requires undertaking an internship prior to graduation, effectively adding an additional year to the medical courses contrary to the established accredited academic curricula,” Dr. Asiimwe said.
The coalition said it reached its position after extensive internal deliberations and review of the policy document, alongside consultations among professional bodies in the health sector.
Dr. Asiimwe said the group “explicitly and unequivocally” rejects the policy in its current form, arguing that it lacks the structural clarity and technical input needed from frontline practitioners.
“In its present state, the document lacks the necessary structural depth, operational clarity and input from frontline practitioners required to guide the future of medical, pharmacy, dental and nursing education in our nation,” he said.
The professionals are instead calling for the policy to be treated as a “Zero Draft” and subjected to a wider, structured consultative process.
They want involvement of professional associations, student and intern bodies, regulatory councils, universities, labour unions, civil society organisations, Members of Parliament and other key stakeholders.
“We are going to receive it as a Zero Draft to initiate a productive, transparent consultative process,” Dr. Asiimwe said.
The coalition also wants a clear legal and professional framework to guide supervised practice for graduates in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing and midwifery.
In addition, the group is proposing a change in the designation of medical interns, arguing that their role is different from internships in other professions.
Dr. Asiimwe said medical internship takes place after graduation and represents the first year of professional practice.
Under the proposal, medical graduates would be redesignated as Junior House Officers or Junior Medical Officers.
Pharmacy graduates would become Junior Pharmacists, while dental graduates would be Junior Dental Surgeons. Nursing and midwifery graduates would be designated Junior Nursing Officers and Junior Midwifery Officers respectively.
The coalition said the proposed titles would better reflect the responsibilities of young health professionals and help protect their professional standing.
The dispute is expected to trigger further discussions between government and health sector stakeholders as consultations on the NETH Policy 2025 continue.