KENYA – The Ministry of Health of Kenya has started posting 889 medical interns to various public hospitals after signing an agreement with KMPDU last year December.

The agreement was made between the Ministry and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the Council of Governors(COG) on December 30, 2022, to avert a doctor’s strike  that had been scheduled in early January.

“I am pleased to announce that the posting of interns has commenced. The interns form a core part of our health service delivery team and we will support them to serve and learn,” Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha said.

KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atella has since welcomed the Ministry’s efforts in keeping its end of the bargain.

“We acknowledge and laud the Ministry’s effort towards ensuring industrial harmony in the sector and look forward to the posting of the remaining 200 officers within the financial year as promised,” said Atella.

“We are confident that the industrial disharmony that has been arising from delays and failure to post interns is now a thing of the past,” he added.

Posting of medical interns was one of the issues doctors wanted the government to fulfil as it is part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covering the 2017-2021 period.

Other issues are; basic salary adjustments, creation of call rooms, employment of more doctors and provision of working tools are some of the issues highlighted by the doctors.

During the meeting with KMPDU officials and COG committees on health and labour, which was held at the beginning of this year, various pending issues that cut across both levels of government were discussed and the road map towards their resolutions escalated.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union had last year threatened to lead its members in downing tools from January 6, 2023 accusing the government of failing to honour its part of the bargain.

For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook.