Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has announced plans by the National Government to integrate medical interns into the public service as junior doctors.
Kuria made the announcement when speaking on March 22, 2024, at Kiobwoge Vocational Training Centre in Nyamira County, as he called on doctors who have downed their tools to resume duties.
The CS said that his Ministry had already put in place mechanisms to integrate doctors on internships into the public service who shall be referred to as foundation doctors.
“About the issue of intern doctors, my Ministry of Public Service has already put mechanisms to convert what they call intern doctors because they are only qualified, to junior doctors or what we are going to call foundation doctors,” he said.
According to the CS, the junior doctors will be integrated into the scheme of service under the Public Service Commission.
Kuria calls out doctors
Kuria made the remarks as he called out doctors who have downed tools, noting that striking and demonstrating because of medical interns was not right because the government has already initiated plans to solve it.
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The announcement by the Public Service CS came following an intervention by State House after earlier talks between the government and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials collapsed.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei convened a crucial meeting with various parties and stakeholders on Thursday, March 21, night.
The meeting was attended by Cabinet Secretaries among them CS Kuria, the Council of Governors, KMPDU officials, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), Public Service Commission (PSC), among others.
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Following the meeting, Kuria urged the doctors to embrace dialogue, saying it was not right for doctors to stop providing emergency services at public hospitals, as they demand better wages.
At the same time, he noted that he would be tabling the issue of transitioning comprehensive insurance for National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) beneficiaries to the new Social Health Authority (SHA), before Cabinet for consideration.
The CS was on a tour of the National Youth Service-Vocational Training Centers (NYS-VTC) Mashinani program.