The Uganda Medical Association has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to resolve a standoff over the deployment and welfare of medical interns, warning that doctors will launch nationwide industrial action if demands are not met.
The ultimatum was announced on Saturday during an Extraordinary General Assembly attended by approximately 4,500 doctors from Uganda and the diaspora, according to UMA president Dr Frank Asiimwe. The planned industrial action would be in solidarity with medical interns who have declined to report to training facilities amid uncertainty over their deployment, remuneration, and ability to cover basic living costs during the mandatory one-year internship.
At the centre of the dispute is the interns’ demand for a monthly allowance of Shs4 million, which UMA says should be paid consistently throughout the internship period. The association argues that medical interns are qualified doctors undertaking supervised practice, not students, and perform significant clinical responsibilities in Health facilities.
“Medical interns are not students. They are qualified doctors, simply undergoing a mandatory one-year supervised practice,” Asiimwe said.
For newly graduated doctors, internship is the final stage before full professional practice. It requires relocation to health facilities, securing accommodation, and meeting transport and food costs while working in demanding clinical environments. UMA said requiring interns to undertake these responsibilities without a guaranteed means of livelihood risks their welfare and could ultimately affect patient care.
The association said 2,417 eligible medical interns should be deployed to accredited training sites across the country without discrimination or withdrawal of deployment orders. It also demanded the immediate release of outstanding payments owed to more than 300 medical interns, residents, and fellows who, according to UMA, have not been paid since July 2025 despite holding government contracts. UMA further called for the withdrawal or suspension of the National Education and Training for Health Policy to allow wider consultation with stakeholders.
The association said doctors will commence industrial action after 14 days if the Ministry of Health fails to provide “clear, written and satisfactory” communication on the deployment and facilitation of interns. However, UMA said emergency care and other essential life-saving services would remain available during any industrial action.
The doctors could also down tools before the 14-day deadline if the government takes punitive action against interns for refusing to report to facilities over the unresolved welfare concerns. UMA said any attempt to withdraw deployment orders as punishment or discriminate against interns would similarly trigger immediate industrial action.
The dispute comes amid wider concerns over the working conditions of Uganda’s doctors and funding for the health sector. UMA is demanding increased health-sector financing and a clear roadmap towards the 15 percent health spending target under the Abuja Declaration. The association is also calling for the lifting of the health-sector recruitment ban, arguing that Uganda continues to face significant staffing shortages.
UMA said Uganda’s doctor-to-patient ratio stands at about one doctor for every 25,000 people, compared with the World Health Organization benchmark of approximately one doctor for every 1,000 people. The doctors are also demanding the resolution of salary discrepancies affecting associate consultants and the promotion of medical officers who, according to UMA, have remained in the same positions for more than a decade despite acquiring the necessary qualifications.
