Health Director General Dr Patrick Amoth has downplayed doctors' demand that medical interns be paid over Kes 200,000, highlighting the government’s financial constraints.
Speaking on Citizen TV's Newsgang show, Dr Amoth said such a substantial increment in intern salaries was unfeasible given the current budgetary limitations.
Further, he said that other neighboring countries pay medical interns between Kes 45,000 and Kes 70,000.
"This batch of 3759 will require a budget of Kes 4.8 billion but remember every year doctors graduate. So the challenge we have is that every year this figure is going to increase. This figure is also not arbitrary from SRC we have also looked at other jurisdictions."
"Nigeria pays their interns an equivalent of Kes 70,000, South Africa pays their interns Kes 208,000, Rwanda pays about Kes 50,000, Tanzania pays Kes 66,000, Uganda is currently paying Kes 50,000, Ghana which is in the same league as us pays their interns an equivalent of Ksh.45,000.”
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This comes amid an ongoing doctors strike that has plunged hospitals and medical facilities into disarray, disrupting services and patient care.
One of the doctors' main grievances has been the government's failure to post medical interns, who form a vital part of the healthcare workforce. This further strains an already burdened system.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentist Union (KMPDU) doctors have rejected two government proposals that would have medical interns earn a monthly stipend of between Kes 27,000 and Kes 70,000.
KMPDU rejected the proposals, noting that it would exploit the interns who account for thirty percent of the healthcare workload.
