KAMPALA – Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi has announced plans to return the government’s medical internship policy to Cabinet for fresh review following concerns from lawmakers, medical professionals and students over proposed changes in the funding of interns.
Baryomunsi made the announcement during Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting, saying he is preparing a Cabinet paper to reopen discussions on the policy, which has sparked debate across the health sector.
The minister told Members of Parliament that although he understands the concerns raised by different stakeholders, he cannot reverse a decision already made by Cabinet without seeking approval from the same authority.
“I am drafting a Cabinet paper to have this policy decision reviewed,” Baryomunsi said.
The policy currently under discussion proposes that medical graduates who were sponsored by the government continue receiving facilitation during their one-year internship, while privately sponsored graduates would be required to meet their own costs.
Government introduced the proposal after citing growing numbers of medical graduates joining internship programmes and the increasing financial burden of supporting all interns within the available budget.
Officials have maintained that medical internship is a professional training requirement that enables health graduates to gain practical experience before receiving full registration, rather than being treated as regular employment.
However, the proposal has faced criticism from sections of the medical fraternity, who argue that interns play a crucial role in supporting health service delivery, especially in public hospitals facing shortages of health workers.
Some health professionals have also questioned the fairness of creating different conditions for interns performing similar duties based on whether they were government or privately sponsored during their university education.
Several Members of Parliament have raised similar concerns, arguing that all interns should receive equal treatment since they carry out the same responsibilities in health facilities.
The debate comes shortly after Minister Baryomunsi visited Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital during a night inspection, where he witnessed challenges including overcrowding, pressure on health workers and increasing demands on the facility.
Medical internship remains a compulsory stage for doctors and other health professionals before they can obtain full practising licences.
The outcome of the Cabinet review will determine whether the current internship funding policy remains unchanged or is adjusted to address concerns raised by medical graduates and other stakeholders in the health sector.
