Govt Bows to Pressure, Announces Posting Date for Interns

The Ministry of Health is set to start positing medical interns from April 1, 2024, Cabinet Secretary, Susan Nakhumicha has announced. 

Speaking on Monday, March 18, Nakhumicha said the Ministry of Health had received communication from the Treasury regarding disbursement of funds for posting process.

“Most importantly, 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. 

We have agreed that the Doctors Union will participate in the review of the internship policy that is currently ongoing.  

“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,” added Nakhumicha.

Referring to the discussion between the government and Kenya Medical Dentists and Practitioners Union (KMPDU) as ‘fruitful dialogue’, the CS Health noted that in resolving the outstanding matters, they had obeyed the court orders as issued last week. 

Further, CS Nakhumicha stated as a Ministry, they had taken note of the ongoing conciliation meetings that are in progress with the Ministry of Health and the doctors union, and that one single issue raised was the full implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of 2017-2021.

Equally important to note on the lapsed CBA, CS Nakhumicha stated that they had agreed as Ministry to proceed with the talks and that the negotiations will resume within the week to address pending issues arising from the CBA.

Also Read: Doctors Issue Demands After Interns Strike

The CS Health also indicated that they had reached an agreement that all pending arrears for Registrars to be reconciled with the affected Universities to fast-track payment, since the National Treasury had confirmed disbursement of the said pending bills. 

Meanwhile, Kenya Medical Dentists and Practitioners Union (KMPDU) through there Secretary General Davji Atela has termed the meeting with the Government representatives as ‘consultative consultations’.

Speaking earlier today after the deliberations, the Doctors Union Secretary General stated that they were not in agreement with the government on the new draft industrial policy, citing that any agreement has to be done based on the current CBA framework the court had pronounced itself on.

“We were in a consultative consultation with the government, and we are not in any agreement with a new industrial policy, since we haven’t even been shown the new draft policy, therefore we insist that any new posting of medical interns must be pegged on the current CBA,” he said.

Also Read: Doctors Union SG Shot During Protest with Interns

Moreover, Mr. Atela hinted on the government intentions to drop down salaries of doctors and medical interns under the new proposed CBA regulations, citing irregular attempts by the Salary and Renumerations Commissions (SRC) to scrap off non-practicing allowances in a bid to lower doctors and interns’ salaries.

The doctor’s union representative also revealed they were fully compliant with the 6 demand orders issued last week by the Court and called on the Ministry of Health to observe and obey the one nation approach to doctor’s issues as a return-to-work formula which the courts fronted.