Acting Director General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth, recently addressed concerns regarding the demand for higher salaries for medical interns, emphasizing the government’s financial constraints.
In an interview on Citizen TV’s Newsgang show, Dr. Amoth explained that a substantial salary increase for interns, such as the suggested over Ksh.200,000, wasn’t feasible due to current budget limitations.
He pointed out that neighboring countries pay their medical interns significantly lower salaries, ranging from Sh.45,000 to Ksh.208,000.
Dr. Amoth highlighted the financial implications, stating that accommodating the proposed salary hike for the current batch of 3759 interns alone would require a budget of Sh.4.8 billion, with the number expected to increase annually due to new graduates.
Dr. Amoth cited examples of other countries’ intern salaries, saying, “Nigeria pays their interns an equivalent of Ksh.70,000, South Africa pays their interns Sh.208,000, Rwanda pays about Sh.50,000, Tanzania pays Sh.66,000, and Uganda is currently paying Sh.50,000, Ghana which is in the same league as us pays their interns an equivalent of Sh.45,000.”
His comments come amidst an ongoing doctors’ strike, which has severely impacted hospitals and medical facilities, leading to disrupted services and compromised patient care.
The failure to post medical interns, a crucial component of the healthcare workforce, has exacerbated the strain on the system, a key grievance of the striking doctors.
Despite the Ministry’s position, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentist Union (KMPDU) maintains its demand for improved compensation for interns.
They argue that competitive remuneration is necessary to attract and retain skilled medical professionals, essential for delivering quality healthcare services to the Kenyan population.
Furthermore, the KMPDU rejected two government proposals offering monthly stipends ranging from Sh.27,000 to Sh.70,000, citing concerns about the exploitation of interns who already shoulder thirty percent of the healthcare workload.
