The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, has welcomed government’s decision to restore the monthly facilitation for medical interns, appreciating the move as recognition of the important contribution interns make during their mandatory training in health facilities.
However, Ssenyonyi says the reinstated Shs1 million monthly allowance should not mark the end of the discussion, arguing that government should consider increasing the amount in light of rising living costs and inflation over the years.
He has also challenged the Minister of Health to clarify whether the reinstated facilitation will become a permanent government policy or whether it will only apply to the current cohort of medical interns.
Ssenyonyi made the remarks following the Minister of Health’s statement to Parliament on the deployment and welfare of medical interns.
The Leader of Opposition has been at the forefront of calls for improved welfare and timely deployment of medical interns. On June 9, he raised strong objections on the floor of Parliament to the proposed withdrawal of monthly facilitation for interns, describing the matter as a national healthcare concern.
On August 4, Ssenyonyi again pressed government over delayed deployment and unfulfilled commitments regarding the review of medical interns’ allowances.
On August 12, he tabled a position statement alongside letters from the Uganda Medical Association warning of possible industrial action if the welfare concerns of medical interns were not addressed.
Today, following sustained pressure from Ssenyonyi and other legislators, government rescinded the earlier policy and restored the monthly facilitation for the current cohort of medical interns.
Ssenyonyi says the next step should be to make the allowance a permanent government policy and review it upwards to reflect current economic realities.
By Francis Lubega
18th Aug 2026
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