FDC urges govt to withdraw medical interns’ ultimatum
Centenary said sending an intern to run a ward without pay, without support, and not even with guarantee that they will be facilitated is not deploying them to save lives. It is putting both patients and interns at risk.
From left: Former Makindye East MP Ibrahim Kasozi Biribawa, FDC Vice Chairperson for the Western Region Robert Centenary Franco, and FDC Nakawa Division Chairperson Dr Moses Okwera Mugisha address a press conference at the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Kampala, on Monday, August 10, 2026. (Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba)
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A recent directive by the Ministry of Health ordering medical interns to report to their designated hospitals by August 14 or forfeit their internship placements has sparked fierce debate.
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has criticised the directive, citing concerns over the welfare and safety of interns and patients in both public and private health facilities across the country.
Robert Centenary Franco, the FDC vice-chairperson for the western region, described the ultimatum as “reckless” and called for its immediate withdrawal during the party’s weekly press conference at its Najjanankumbi headquarters on Monday, August 10, 2026.
“Sending an intern to run a ward without pay, without support, and not even with guarantee that they will be facilitated is not deploying them to save lives. It is putting both patients and interns at risk,” Centenary said.
“We demand for the immediate withdrawal of the 14 August forfeiture ultimatum. Uganda spends an estimated $175m (over sh652b) annually sending a select few citizens abroad for medical treatment, which is several times the entire national bill for facilitating every intern in the country,” he observed.
The FDC said the directive could put interns in charge of wards without pay, support or guarantees of facilitation.
“This puts both patients and interns at risk, given the already dire doctor-to-patient ratio in Uganda, estimated at 1 to 24,000,” he noted.
The medical interns’ strike, which is ongoing, stems from the government’s decision to implement the disputed National Education and Training for Health Policy and provide what the FDC says should be equal welfare and allowances for government-sponsored and privately sponsored interns.
“Withdraw the ultimatum, guarantee equal facilitation and allowances for all medical interns, and allocate a supplementary budget of at least sh35.7 billion to support intern facilitation,” Centenary demanded.
As the standoff continues, the FDC warned that patients could bear the brunt, with many government hospitals already struggling to cope with workloads.
The party said the situation highlights the need for a comprehensive overhaul of Uganda’s healthcare system, with greater attention to the welfare of medical professionals and the needs of patients.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, said the government had rolled out a new policy effective August 2026 that alters the medical internship framework by shifting internship into the formal university education system while requiring students to complete internship before final graduation.
Dr Atwine said the new direction leaves no ambiguity about progression in medical training. “The message is clear: No internship, no graduation.”
As a result, government funding for allowances has undergone major changes, with recent adjustments specifying that only state-sponsored medical interns receive state facilitation and funding, while general allowances have been scaled back or eliminated under the broader policy shift.
More than 2,400 medical interns were deployed to various health facilities for the 2026/27 period, although many delayed reporting to duty because of unresolved welfare and allowance disputes.
Rethink Gaza deployment
The FDC deputy president for the northern region, Hassan Kaps Fungaroo, has opposed Uganda’s decision to deploy troops to Gaza under the US-led International Stabilisation Force (ISF), arguing that the move risks damaging Uganda’s diplomatic relations with Palestinians.
Parliament approved a motion on August 6, 2026, authorising the deployment of Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) troops to the Gaza Strip as part of a US-backed International Stabilisation Force (ISF).
“This move contradicts Uganda's position as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and undermines its commitment to Palestinian self-determination and anti-imperialism,” Fungaroo observes.
FDC claimed that the deployment was rushed through Parliament without adequate debate or scrutiny and that it betrayed Uganda’s historical support for Palestine and the Global South.
“The party demands the government withdraw troops from Gaza, uphold NAM principles, and maintain its commitment to peace, sovereignty, and justice,” Fungaroo insists.
Fungaroo said Uganda’s dignity, sovereignty and global reputation as a NAM member state and the current chair of NAM depend on choosing non-alignment rather than becoming an ally of the USA in its conflicts around the world.
Maj. Gen. Henry Masiko, the Joint Staff Political Commissariat and UPDF representative in Parliament, said the deployment “will help the force to acquire more skills, and it is in accordance with the UN resolutions.”
“We are not going there to dance; we are going there to confront threats against society and humanity. We should be proud of this,” Masiko clarified.
He noted that UPDF troops undergo international training at the International Peace Support Operations Training Centre in Singo.
“The UPDF is viewed as the anchor of stability in a sea of turbulence, regionally and now globally,” he elaborated.