Crisis looms as clinical interns down tools

Kenya Union of Clinical Officers National Chairman Peter Wachira during intern clinical officers protest over delayed salaries outside Afya House building, Nairobi, on October 9, 2024. [David Gichuru ,Standard]

Crisis is looming in public hospitals as clinical interns down tools to protest unpaid salaries, lack of medical cover, and poor working conditions.

The interns, who have not been paid since March this year, say they have no choice but to take their grievances to the Ministry of Health until their demands are addressed.

“We have been working for close to seven months without pay. With the current economic hardships, it’s nearly impossible to afford transport or meet basic needs. This is affecting our ability to work,” said Juma Moses, Secretary General of Clinical Interns, who led the demonstrations outside Afya House in Nairobi.

He lamented lack of medical cover for interns despite their high exposure to illnesses as front line healthcare providers. Joseph Ferdinand, Chairperson of Clinical Interns, said the salary delays have have had a psychological toll on the interns.

According to Langat Betty, an intern posted in March, described the situation as worse, with some sharing food and beds with patients due to their inability to afford rent or meals. “We treat patients, but inside, we are more broken. We are exposed to contagious diseases without any medical cover. Our situation is unsustainable,” said Betty.

Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) who joined the protests, condemned the government’s failure to honor the stipulated terms of engagement as indicated in the posting letters.

KUCO General Secretary George Gibore called out the ministry of health for neglecting its responsibilities, leaving many with no option but to beg and depend on others for survival.

“Some interns are being locked out of their homes, forced to live in hospitals and share food with patients. The government failure is pushing them to the brink,” said Gibore.

He noted that the delays in posting interns and failure to pay them have contributed to confusion in the health sector, with interns enduring mental anguish as a result.

He urged the government to address the situation urgently. According to him, the interns plight demonstrates larger systemic failures within the ministry.

KUCO chairperson Peterson Wachira called on Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa to intervene and ensure the interns are paid. “Their frustrations have led some into depression. We will continue to protest until their payments are released,” said Wachira.

Wachira faulted the new Social Health Authority (SHA) for its failure to offer comprehensive medical cover for the public sector workers as it was under the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).

This comes at a time when the government has called upon employers to declare their employees under SHA to make them eligible to benefit from the scheme.

Speaking during a training exercise for Human Resource Professionals in Public Service, Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Harry Kimtai said only 120,620 employees are currently declared by 15,588 employers.

He called on the employees to confirm with their human resource departments whether they are onboarded on the employer portal to ensure they are not denied services when they need them.