The Ministry of Health (MoH) has initiated the deployment of 1,270 interns to different healthcare facilities across the country.
Adan Harakhe, the Director of the State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards, supervised the issuance of release letters to 1,270 Diploma Clinical Officer Interns on Thursday, March 22. These interns were chosen from a group of 3,752 applicants spanning across six categories.
“Internship entails a one-year hands-on training for Clinical Officers, supplemented by six months of specialized training upon completion of the Higher Diploma, ensuring compliance with legal requirements for practice after graduation,” the statement read.
In the statement, Harakhe reiterated the Ministry’s dedication to facilitating smooth delivery of healthcare services.
He pledged to reassess the current internship policies to guarantee that graduates deliver top-notch healthcare services in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
This comes after Health CS Susan Nakhumicha announced that the Ministry will start posting medical interns from the beginning of April. Speaking on March 18, Nakhumicha said the Ministry had received communication from the National Treasury regarding the disbursement of funds for posting of the interns.
“We have briefed the union and agreed that we have now received confirmation from the Treasury and beginning April 1, which is in two weeks’ time we are going to start posting all the interns,” she said.
Additionally, she stated that the Kenya Medical Dentists and Practitioners Union (KMPDU) will take part in the ongoing review of the internship policy.
“We will review the internship policy to ensure that it aligns with the Universal Health Coverage, and it addresses all the emerging issues that we have had,” Nakhumicha said.
Despite being firm in his stance, the Secretary General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Davji Atella, expressed disagreement with the government regarding the proposed new industrial policy.
Atella clarified that any agreement must adhere to the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) framework as instructed by the court.
He emphasized that they had engaged in consultations with the government but had not been presented with the details of the new draft policy. Therefore, he insisted that any placement of medical interns should be based on the terms outlined in the current CBA.
Atella further criticized the government’s intentions to drop the salaries of doctors and medical interns under the new proposed CBA regulations.
