A storm is brewing as a group of furious unemployed medical interns threaten to storm Parliament during their upcoming regional plenary sessions in Gulu City, Northern Uganda, scheduled for August 28-30.
Their demand is immediate deployment and payment, or else, all hell will break loose, according to them.
The frustrated interns, who’ve been left in limbo say they have had enough. The group again carrying placards expressing their frustration in not being deployed told journalists on Tuesday that their next plot is to fearlessly storm parliament’s maiden regional sitting at Kaunda grounds in Gulun City, to pour out their troubles.
“We’re coming to Gulu to remind you (MPs), because this silence is too much. If you don’t pass a supplementary budget to deploy us, we will not stop. Parliament should stop sitting on this issue” they warned,
The Ministry of Health has requested an additional Shs18 billion to deploy all 2,706 eligible medical interns across Uganda. Minister of State for Health, Hon. Anifa Kawooya, informed Parliament that only 1,500 interns have been placed due to limited funding, as the ministry received just Shs35 billion.
Parliamentarians urged the government to secure the necessary funds, stressing the importance of supporting both government and privately sponsored students. The ministry committed to exploring additional funding, recruiting more specialist supervisors, and expanding internship centers, while coordinating with the Ministries of Finance and Education for a long-term solution.
However, the Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa suggested allowing private students to work without pay if they cover their own costs.
The ministry’s plan to deploy only the 2023 cohort, leaving the 2024 batch out in the cold, has sparked outrage among the graduates who feel abandoned by the system.
