Morris Boyca

A medical Doctor
Consultation and diagnostic medicine

[Robert Kalyesubula,MD, FISN(USA), PhD-FRCP(London) @rkalyes1]

🔥 Please prioritize the medical interns!

[Uganda Medical Association @TheUMAofficial]

Medical interns are not students. They are qualified doctors in supervised apprenticeship, carrying nearly 70% of clinical work in referral hospitals.

Paying them is not charity. It is justice.

Pay interns. Protect training. Protect patients.

U.M.A NEC

[Dr. Faith Nabushawo @faith_nabushawo]

What exactly makes the Ministry of Health (MOH) believe that only government sponsored medical interns deserve allowances, while self sponsored or privately funded interns doing exactly the same work, under the same conditions and supervisors, in the same hospitals, should receive nothing? 🤦‍♀️

After carefully reading through the entire Internship Policy framework, the recent circulars (including ADM.010/095/01), the National Education and Training for Health Policy 2025, and related Public Service Standing Orders, one thing is crystal clear 👉 this is a blatant case of unfair discrimination that undermines the principles of equity, natural justice, fair labour practices.

All interns regardless of how their undergraduate education was funded perform the same critical duties. They manage wards, handle emergencies, assist in surgeries, and form the backbone of service delivery in our public hospitals, often contributing up to 60% of the clinical workload. Yet the policy arbitrarily ties eligibility for the monthly allowance which they now call “support” (coz they dont want to commit on anything so they can always make it look like it’s at their mercy) to the sponsorship status during university. Shame 🚮

I urge those few government sponsored interns who might feel “safe” because they are being promised something not to be misled. This fight for better internship policies concerns every single one of us. 📌

The policy is deliberately vague even for those it claims to cover. It refuses to commit to a specific, guaranteed amount, timeline, or protection against future reductions or delays. There is no rock solid assuarance clause ensuring consistency or timely disbursement.

This ambiguity reveals the deeper truth 👉no one is safe. Today’s “privileged” group can easily become tomorrow’s excluded group once budget constraints or new circulars kick in.

We have witnessed government reduce reduced allowances from Shs2.5m to Shs1m, delayed payments repeatedly, and is pushing toward models where interns (reclassified as students) receive little to nothing.

We are not asking for charity. We are demanding recognition for the essential professional work we do during this mandatory year. A fair policy must provide 👇
📌Uniform allowances for all interns performing the same duties
📌Clear, ring-fenced funding with specific amounts
📌Timely deployment and payment
📌Protection against arbitrary exclusion based on sponsorship history

The current approach is not only unjust, it threatens the entire healthcare. This concerns the future of healthcare in Uganda. We must stand united. 📌

[Marvin🪵Lule @marvin_lule68]

I took this photo at Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital around May last year.
For those who don't know what medical interns actually do, let me share a small story.

One night as a medical student, I decided to spend time in theatre to learn. I was working with an intern doctor who was on call. That night, she had 6 emergency Caesarean sections to perform. I assisted in the first 3 surgeries and by around 3 am I was exhausted. I told her I was going to sleep because I had lectures at 8 am. the next morning. She smiled and told me to go.
The next day, after my lectures, I passed through the postnatal ward and found the same doctor reviewing patients. She had worked through the night, spent hours in theatre, and was still on the wards attending to mothers.
That was the day I truly understood that internship is not just another year of training. It is frontline hospital work.

When people hear "intern," they often imagine someone observing and learning. In reality, many interns are reviewing patients, responding to emergencies, assisting and performing procedures, covering night shifts, and helping keep hospitals running.

As the debate on intern allowances continues, I keep thinking about that night in Kayunga.

If we expect young doctors to carry that level of responsibility and workload, can we honestly say their welfare doesn't matter?

[Morris Boyca @Atinleonard]

@ntvuganda As a qualified Doctor who passed through internship, internship period without payment is slavery on a nother level, we can not accept the policy of internship without payment.

[Robert Kalyesubula,MD, FISN(USA), PhD-FRCP(London) @rkalyes1]

🤔 Colleagues, we are not going to get far by tearing down other medics. This is counterproductive!

🔥 Instead direct your grievances to the source of power: His Excellence @KagutaMuseveni

🔥 More importantly get the public and the media to clearly understand our plight ....

[Dr.Ocen Wilfred .E .MD @OcenWilfre3668]

The intern Doctor has committed suicide
The intern Doctor burnt the drs mess while frying beans
The intern doctor collapsed and died in theatre

It that what will awaken gvt,

[Morris Boyca @Atinleonard]

@faith_nabushawo @EliodAinomujuni They will have to bleed, that's how the government will understand how bad their new policy is

[Tamale @256Rootyherman]

Old men in authority. Medical interns

[Kadondi Gracious @kadondigracious]

The proposed health training policy is a direct threat to the future of our healthcare system. Medical interns are the backbone of our hospitals and deserve fair support, not exploitation. We must unite to reject this betrayal of our medical professionals.
#ProtectOurInterns

[Uganda Medical Association @TheUMAofficial]

Medical interns are doctors under apprenticeship, not free labour.

Unpaid internship is not reform. It is exploitation.

Pay interns. Protect training. Protect patients.

//END//

[Ronald Frank Ocero 🇺🇬 @RFOcero]

WHO Dr:Patient ratio 1:1000
Uganda's Dr:Patient ratio 1:25000
This 25 fold increase in work load is carried by medical interns.

If we are refusing to facilitate the few medics adequately, will we ever be able to fill this massive gaps in the health system? @MinofHealthUG

[Dr. Faith Nabushawo @faith_nabushawo]

Interns: Pay us, we are graduates not students.

MOH: Creates a policy, adds another year that extends their graduation by one year until after internship and that way they will not have a say on payment.

So did they think they were playing smart here? Who even advised these people? 🤣

[JAMADAH @KagaheJamadah]

A healthcare system that invests years training doctors only to abandon them during internship is wasting talent, jeopardizing patient care, and weakening the nation's future.

[Dr. Faith Nabushawo @faith_nabushawo]

How hungry unfacilitated interns will be while a mother is dying on ward from PPH coz the interns are hungry and unmotivated 🌝

[Dr. Faith Nabushawo @faith_nabushawo]

Me as an Intern’s supervisor I would feel so ashamed asking the intern to be on duty on time and questioning why they’re not performing to their expectation or absent while knowing they’re not facilitated and definitely thinking of how they’re going to pay rent, transport to work let alone what to eat. 💔😔

[Dr. Faith Nabushawo @faith_nabushawo]

So since am still a student, do I sign as Dr so and so on my theatre notes oba I just write student?

I go for ward round I introduce myself like “Hello am the student going to do your surgery with my fellow fellow student, we are not doctors but don’t worry you will be fine”

[Dr. Faith Nabushawo @faith_nabushawo]

A medical intern who studied on loans, prayers and Inshaallah after finding out he/she has to do a full year of internship without pay 🤣🤣🤣

[Morris Boyca @Atinleonard]

In the field providing medical services to the maginalised areas of Karamoja -Probitas Foundation -(medical camp model of delivering health services to the hard to reach areas )-

[Morris Boyca @Atinleonard]

After doing CS suffering with all the problems in there😬, you still 😭 have to write the notes - anti -evidance based work ...
God😩