Nairobi — 1,270 Clinical officers Interns have been posted in various medical facilities across the country.
Health Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai Thursday said Diploma holders’ interns who received their offer letter of Internship placement will report to work for their one year training program on April 1.
Their placement comes a few days after the medics went on strike blaming the government for failure to post interns.
According to PS Kimtai, the internship program covers 3,752 interns across various cadres including 849 Medical interns , 290 Pharmacists, 73 Dental officers , 1,125 Degree holder Nursing officers, 145 Degree holders and the 1,270 Diploma holders Clinical officers posted on Thursday.
“There were delays that were beyond our control as a ministry however we appreciate the National treasury because when we submitted concerns that the challenges will delay your program they gave us approval and we deliberated to offer the placement letters,” he said.
The health PS stated that the placement will be done in various phases for ease posting of the interns sending stern warning to those on strike to resume work.
“One of the contentious issues was posting of the interns due to the challenges that the ministry of health was facing in regards to budget deficit and now that you have been given approval we expect that those who have been using the issue of posting of the interns to strike to call off the strike. As a ministry we have started posting the interns,” said Kimtai.
Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) George Gibore called on the government to scale up the number of the interns posted at health facilities so that they can as well be deployed to serve in various countries.
“As a union we urge the government to increase the number of the interns being absorbed.If they are not taken care of they will end up becoming worse than the patients they are supposed to take care of at the health centres,” he said.
The Diploma holders Clinical Interns will be paid Sh35,000 monthly stipend which is an increase from the current Sh15,000.