The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to resolve the ongoing dispute over the deployment and welfare of medical interns, threatening a nationwide strike if the Ministry of Health fails to provide satisfactory commitments.
The decision was reached during an extraordinary general assembly attended by approximately 4,500 doctors from Uganda and the diaspora. An overwhelming 99 per cent of the members voted in solidarity with the medical interns, authorizing industrial action should the government fail to address their grievances.
UMA President Dr. Frank Asiimwe confirmed that doctors across the country will withdraw their services once the 14-day notice expires, though emergency and essential life-saving services will remain operational.
“To safeguard the dignity of the medical profession and the quality and safety of healthcare delivery, doctors across Uganda shall commence industrial action upon the expiry of 14 days if the Ministry of Health fails to provide clear, written, and satisfactory communication regarding the deployment and adequate facilitation of medical interns,” the UMA statement reads in part.
The association demands that each medical intern be paid a monthly allowance of Shs4 million throughout their one-year training period to cover accommodation, transport, food, and basic living expenses. Furthermore, UMA wants all 2,417 eligible medical interns deployed to accredited training sites without discrimination or threats of revoking deployment orders for failing to report on time.
The doctors are also pushing for the suspension or withdrawal of the controversial new health training policy to allow for broader stakeholder consultations, as well as the immediate clearance of outstanding allowances owed to more than 300 medical interns, residents, and fellows who have gone unpaid since July 2025.
Beyond the immediate intern crisis, UMA is calling for broader structural fixes, including increased health-sector financing, lifting the ban on health worker recruitment, rectifying salary disparities affecting associate consultants, and promoting medical officers who have been stagnant in the same roles for over a decade despite acquiring higher qualifications. UMA warned that failure to address these systemic issues continues to fuel severe burnout, absenteeism, and low productivity among medical professionals.
The association added that industrial action could start immediately, before the 14-day window lapses, should the government victimize interns, cancel deployment letters, or fail to fulfill commitments made in Parliament.
Responding to the threats while appearing before Parliament, Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi acknowledged that welfare concerns need addressing, but urged the graduates to report for duty as consultations continue.
Dr. Baryomunsi clarified that the protesting graduates are technically not yet medical interns because they have not signed internship contracts or reported to assigned facilities. He stated that deployment letters required them to report between August 3 and August 14, warning that those who fail to show up by the deadline will be considered to have forfeited their offers.
The minister also dismissed claims that medical interns bear the sole burden of running public hospitals, noting that healthcare services rely on various cadres of health professionals. He cited historical data showing lower hospital mortality rates during previous intern strikes to emphasize that interns are trainees who require supervision from senior doctors. To address supervision gaps, Dr. Baryomunsi noted that the ministry is considering reforms to ensure senior doctors are present at training facilities and to curb instances of senior personnel holding multiple appointments across different facilities.
However, key lawmakers, including the Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, challenged the minister’s stance, pointing out that public regional referral hospitals remain heavily reliant on medical interns due to critical staffing shortages in the government health sector.
Dr. Baryomunsi assured Parliament that he is still consulting key leadership bodies regarding the pre-interns’ demands and expects to present a finalized government position by next week.