By Kelly Mumbi
The Ministry of Health has issued a statement regarding the challenges faced in posting medical interns with the Ministry recognizing the essential role internships play in training healthcare professionals.
Over the past two decades, there has been a significant increase in graduates from medical and related fields, leading to a situation where the demand for internship placements has outstripped available financial resources.
This backlog has contributed to recurring industrial actions within the health sector.
In the official statement from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry empathizes with the young doctors affected by the delays, acknowledging the psychological and financial hardships they face.
Further, the government is demonstrating its commitment to resolving the issue and has been encouraged by the President’s commitment to ensuring the posting of medical interns, despite budget cuts following the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.
Since January 2023, the Ministry has successfully posted 4,156 interns across various positions with all expected to complete their internships by June 2024 at KES 4.2 billion.
However, a recent Return-to-Work Formula agreement signed on 8th May 2024 highlighted a contentious clause about intern compensation.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) have shown their preference to the 2017 collective bargaining agreement rate of KES 206,400 per month. Due to fiscal constraints, the Ministry, advised by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), has proposed a stipend of KES 70,000 per month. This matter awaits a court decision on 26th September 2024.
Currently, 3,760 interns are awaiting posting, with the Ministry receiving a budget of KES 3.7 billion for the financial year 2024/2025 for internships.
To address the issue, the Ministry is considering three options;
- Posting all interns at the SRC-recommended rate.
- Waiting for the court’s decision.
- Using the allocated funds to post interns in batches at the CBA rates while seeking additional resources.
“Following the gazettement of the Presidential taskforce to address long-standing issues on human resources for health, the Ministry is optimistic that the task force will come up with recommendations on how to deal with internship issues permanently, “read the statement in part from MOH.
Additionally, the Ministry has acknowledged the interns’ right to protest and camp at Afya House but condemns actions by a few individuals to incite chaos.
Despite the ongoing issues, the Ministry is encouraging interns to report to their internship centres to avoid loss of time.