The Vice-President, H.E. Jessica Alupo, has said government will review the decision to stop payment of medical interns adding that the policies of government and their purpose, are for the people.
The Vice President made this revelation following concerns by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi who reiterated what has been in the media that medical interns will not be paid going forward.
Ssenyonyi raised the concerns during the plenary sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.
Alupo said that Cabinet will hold discussions on the proposed Medical Education and Internship Policy and that the Minister of Health will later present a statement to the House.
“We are talking about the positive impact of the deliberate channeling of resources to the human resource development of our country. We can definitely review this policy” Alupo said.
Ssenyonyi said that medical interns support the medical infrastructure and ran government hospitals and health centres.
“Sometimes they work 36 hours, other times they work 48 hours, non-stop, to take care of the people of Uganda. Government has historically facilitated them to do this work,” he said.
He wondered how the medical interns will facilitate themselves and be expected to show up for work. He called on government to urgently look into the matter, emphasising that money can be got to pay them.
“Government recently suspended public holiday functions to save money. We had already past that entire budget. Government, let us find this money, so that we can pay medical interest”, he added.
Recently, government announced that effective August 2026, medical interns will no longer receive their monthly allowance.
According to the new policy, internship will be integrated into the formal university education system.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
