The Ministry of Health has issued a notice requiring medical, dental, and pharmacy interns to report to their internship centers in less than five days.
This swift action comes after delayed posting was cited as a primary reason for doctors going on strike last month.
Mary Muthoni, the Public Health Principal Secretary, announced that posting letters have been emailed to the interns, negating the need for them to physically collect the letters from Afya House, as advised against by the union.
“Their posting has been completed, and offer of internship placement letters sent to respective emails. The interns are expected to report to their respective internship centers as indicated against their names below by April 15,” stated Muthoni.
The interns consist of 72 dentists, 849 medical officers, and 289 pharmacists.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) have also issued them with internship licenses required for hands-on training.
“The students are required to undergo an internship training program for a period of 13 months,” clarified KMPDC.
Failure to complete the internship may result in an extension of the internship period or discontinuation from the program. Additionally, interns can face disciplinary action by the council or legal proceedings for misconduct.
Medical interns typically undergo rotations of approximately three months each in the five main disciplines, including internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics and child health, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and community health. Pharmacy internships are overseen by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
The delay in posting was a significant factor in the doctors’ strike on March 14 last month, which later expanded to include demands related to their 2017 collective Bargaining Agreement.
Last week, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei announced that the government had secured Sh2.4 billion to facilitate the immediate deployment and posting of the 2023/24 cohort of medical and dental student interns.
The Ministry has also warned that if the medics do not accept the Ksh 2.4 billion offer, then the funds will be returned back to treasury.
