Doctors Reject Health Training Policy, Ask Janet Museveni to Shelve It

By Skika Reporter.

Medical professionals, student leaders and healthcare stakeholders have rejected the proposed National Education and Training for Health Policy, calling for its immediate suspension and urging Education Minister Janet Museveni to halt its implementation pending wider consultations.

The stakeholders argue that the policy threatens the welfare of medical interns, undermines professional training standards and could worsen Uganda’s already critical shortage of healthcare workers.

Speaking at a press conference convened by the Uganda Law Society on Thursday, Uganda Medical Association (UMA) President Dr. Frank Asiimwe described the policy as “draconian, shambolic and dead on arrival.”

He accused the Ministries of Health and Education of introducing sweeping reforms without adequate consultation with medical professionals, universities and regulatory bodies.

According to Dr. Asiimwe, one of the most contentious proposals seeks to redefine medical interns as students rather than qualified graduates undergoing supervised professional practice.

“Once someone has fulfilled the requirements for the award of a degree, they cease to be a student. They are doctors, pharmacists, nurses or dental surgeons undergoing supervised practice,” he said.

He also rejected proposals that would require graduates to undertake an additional year of internship training under university supervision after completing their degree requirements.

“You cannot take someone who has completed all the requirements for a degree and push them back into student status. That would create problems for professional regulation and the entire internship framework,” Asiimwe argued.

The proposed policy seeks to streamline health professional training, improve educational standards and strengthen oversight of internship programmes.

However, critics say some of its provisions could fundamentally alter the structure of internship training and remove financial support currently provided to healthcare interns.

Dr. Asiimwe warned that removing internship allowances would amount to forcing young professionals to work without adequate support despite the critical role they play in healthcare delivery.

“We are dealing with human lives. Internship is supervised practice, not classroom learning. If the government chooses not to employ interns, that is its decision, but it should not impose what amounts to forced labour,” he said.

He further questioned whether policy directives could legally override existing laws governing professional training, employment and licensing.

According to Asiimwe, any reforms affecting internship structures and professional qualifications should be subjected to extensive stakeholder consultations and legislative scrutiny before implementation.

Former UMA Secretary General Dr. Ekwaro Obuku, who is currently pursuing legal studies, also criticized the proposed changes, arguing that medical interns already contribute significant value to Uganda’s healthcare system.

He estimated that supporting approximately 2,000 medical interns annually costs government about Shs24 billion, a figure he described as modest compared to expenditures in other sectors.

Using caesarean sections as an example, Obuku argued that interns generate substantial economic and healthcare value through the services they provide.

“It is not that interns are taking money without returning value. They provide essential medical services that save lives and contribute significantly to the healthcare system,” he said.

Obuku noted that interns routinely work long hours in emergency units, maternity wards and surgical departments while facing occupational risks, including exposure to infectious diseases.

“These interns stand between life and death every day. We cannot send them to respond to health emergencies and then deny them the support they need,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Stephen Lutoti, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda, said the policy should not be implemented in its current form because it was developed without sufficient consultation among key stakeholders.

Lutoti noted that the policy itself acknowledges serious challenges facing health training in Uganda, including shortages of supervisors, internship training centres, equipment, medicines and welfare support for interns.

“The policy recognizes shortages in the health workforce and deficiencies in training infrastructure. It is therefore difficult to understand why some of the proposed measures may further discourage young health professionals,” he said.

He also questioned proposals that would allow interns to remain classified as students despite having completed their academic qualifications, warning that such changes could create legal and regulatory complications for professional licensing bodies.

“We reject the policy in regard to internship and say its implementation should be suspended. Let there be adequate consultations and consensus before any reforms are introduced,” Lutoti said.

Student leaders echoed similar concerns.

Precious Grisha Achen, President of the Uganda Pharmaceutical Students Association and a final-year pharmacy student at Makerere University, warned that students and pre-interns could boycott internship placements if the policy is implemented without revision.

“Unless this policy is reviewed and looked into, we are not showing up for internship in August. We are speaking not only for current pre-interns but also for future health professionals,” Achen said.

The stakeholders further questioned whether the proposed reforms could lawfully override existing legislation governing professional training, labour rights and employment standards.

They accused policymakers of failing to adequately engage universities, professional councils and healthcare workers during the drafting process.

The National Education and Training for Health Policy was developed to provide strategic direction for health professional education and training in Uganda.

Government officials say the policy is intended to improve the quality of healthcare training, increase the number of qualified trainers, strengthen professional conduct and ensure adequate training resources.

However, opponents argue that the reforms, particularly those affecting internship arrangements and welfare support, risk discouraging young professionals from entering the health sector at a time when Uganda continues to face severe shortages of healthcare workers.

The stakeholders called on the government to suspend implementation of the policy, undertake broader consultations and preserve internship welfare and support programmes that they say are essential for sustaining Uganda’s health workforce.

They also appealed directly to Education Minister Janet Museveni and other government leaders to reconsider the proposed changes before they take effect.