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Intern doctors stage protest outside Afya House

They said the Sh965 million released by ministry catered for only a month's salary arrears.

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by EMMANUEL WANJALA

Realtime05 December 2024 - 15:42
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In Summary


  • The doctors demanded that the Ministry pays them salary scales agreed upon in the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
  • They said lack of goodwill by the ministry has resulted in frustrations among intern doctors and the internship profession was on the verge of collapse.

Intern doctors protest outside Ministry of Health headquarters in Upper Hill, Nairobi, December 5.

Intern doctors on Thursday protested outside Ministry of Health headquarters in Upper Hill demanding three-month salary pay.

The placard-waving vuvuzela-blowing doctors said the Sh965 million the ministry released on Saturday only catered for one of the four months' salary arrears.

"What they sent was for one month, we are still demanding salaries for three months," a leader of the team said.

On Saturday, Health CS Deborah Barasa said the government had released Sh965 million to clear accrued monthly stipends for all intern nurses, clinical officers, medical officers and pharmacists.

She said the monies would go towards the payment of 826 intern medical officers, 274 pharmacists, 71 dentists, 140 degree clinical officers, 1,185 degree nursing officers and 1,251 diploma clinical officers.

CS Barasa said Sh528 million of the amount would clear salary arrears for intern nurses and clinical officers, while Sh110 million was for November salaries for the two categories of health workers.

She said a further Sh326 million would cater for the salary arrears for intern medical officers, intern dental officers, and intern pharmacists. 

"This 100 per cent payment ensures that all posted interns in the specified cadres receive their dues without delay," Barasa said.

She said the payments are testament to the ministry's commitment to foster a conducive work environment for health workers and enhanced quality services to Kenyans.

The interns, however, accused the CS of being insincere saying the amount they have received thus far is for one month.

"The ministry is full of PR, on Saturday the CS made a press conference saying she has paid interns in full. We want to tell you media that that is not true, that's a lie."

Intern doctors outside Afya House in Upper Hill, Nairobi, December 5, 2024.

"We are here to tell Kenyans that we doctors are suffering without even health insurance cover, without food, without the basic needs such as shelter," the medics said through a spokesperson.

The doctors demanded that the Ministry pays them salary scales agreed upon in the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, saying lack of goodwill on the side of government to implement the deal has led to despair.

"The lack of goodwill by the ministry has resulted in frustrations among intern doctors with two of our gallant soldiers succumbing to mental health issues," they said in a statement.

"The internship process, which has been bread and butter of the health profession is on the verge of collapse and that's why all these intern doctors across the whole country have come to occupy MoH."

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