Health Ministry to Deploy 552 Medical Interns Amid Resource Allocation Talks
“There are a total of 3,760 interns awaiting placement with a budget of Ksh 4.8 billion”
By Charity Chebusiri
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has announced that the ministry will post at least 552 medical interns as the government continues discussions on resource allocation.
“Numerous meetings have been held with good progress towards achieving concurrence,” said Nakhumicha.
She added that the ministry is exploring several options, including positioning all medical interns at the required SRC rate of Ksh 70,000 per month and locating interns in batches using funds allocated in the 2024/2025 financial year budget according to the CBA rates.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) had previously demanded a monthly salary of Ksh 206,400 for interns, which Nakhumicha termed impracticable due to the withdrawal of the finance bill 2024.
“There are a total of 3,760 interns awaiting placement with a budget of Ksh 4.8 billion. Due to budget constraints, the ministry received Ksh 3.7 billion for internships in the 2024/2025 financial year,” Nakhumicha explained.
The ministry has deployed 4,156 interns across six categories, including doctors, pharmacists, and dentists. Other categories include nurses, degree clinical officers, and diploma clinical officers.