The Salaries and Renumeration Commission (SRC) has explained why medical interns cannot get the proposed lucrative pay after a standoff over their welfare and posting.
Medics through their union representatives disowned an agreement between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and SRC over the pay of medical interns.
Speaking on March 21, 2024, during a roundtable meeting ahead of the National Wage Bill Conference, 2024, SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich said that the demands from doctors to have medical interns paid full salaries is not sustainable.
“Paying a full salary to interns is not affordable and fiscally sustainable. From the principal of fairness and equity all interns are paid stipends.
From that principal of fairness, it means that all interns must be treated equally on the basis of the government policy that interns are paid stipends not salaries,” she said.
According to her, the rolling out of stipends to medical interns is aimed at consistently achieving equity and fairness in the health care sector.
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Mengich further added that it also makes it affordable and fiscally sustainable, so that all the graduates from healthcare institutions may have an opportunity to go through internship.
“This is as opposed to where we are today where graduates come from the Universities, and they stay for up to 8 months without internship. That is not fair to that student.
What we are facing here is a balance between having a salary and taking only half of students through an internship program or pay stipends to everybody therefore allowing all students have an opportunity to go through internship,” she added.
New proposed salaries by SRC
Her remarks came following an uproar among medics who opposed the agreement between SRC and the Health Ministry according to letters dated March 13 and March 11 respectively.
As per the letters, the two entities had agreed on the stipends to be paid to medical interns subject to affordability and fiscal sustainability.
Further, the March 13 letter detailed that the amount stipulated had been agreed upon and would be effected by the ministry immediately.
According to the letter, Dental Officer Interns were poised to receive between Ksh47,000 and Ksh70,000, Clinical Officer (BSCCM) Interns between Ksh35,000 to Ksh50,000, while Clinical Officers (Diploma Holders) would receive between Ksh27,000 to Ksh35,000.
On the other hand, Nursing Officer (Degree) interns would receive stipends between Ksh35,000 and Ksh50,000, while Pharmacist Interns and Medical Officer Interns would receive between Ksh47,000 and Ksh70,000.
In addition, the amount of renumeration in the second letter was a revision from the first which proposed clinical Officer (Diploma Holders) Interns to receive a pay of Ksh25,000.
Responding to the letter, medics cited the responsibilities that medical interns undertake in various health facilities, indicating that the stipends were still low.
Nakuhumicha on strike
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha while responding to the standoff between medics and her Ministry warned that the government might resort to sacking striking doctors.
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Nakhumicha held that the doctors were in violation of a court order directing them to suspend the strike and risked losing their jobs for failure to report to work.
“What do you expect? I hired someone to do the job and allowed them to. We have to put a measure in place; the places have to be manned, and somebody has to take care of the patients so I cannot say since the doctors are on strike we will sit,” said Nakhumicha during an interview on March 20, 2024.
Talks between the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials and the government collapsed forcing State House to intervene.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei convene a meeting with various stakeholders on Thursday, March 21, a meeting that ended almost at midnight.
The Ministry of Health insisted that the National Treasury had since allowed the posting of interns from April 1.
CS Nakhumicha further added that her ministry will continue negotiations and that all pending dues per the 2017 CBA will be cleared per the court’s directives.
