How Kenya can solve medical interns issue
Medical interns camp outside Afya House, the Ministry of Health headquarters, in Nairobi on February 12. The doctors union says increased allocations to health will end many problems facing the sector, including shortage of staff.
For years, the plight of medical interns in Kenya—inadequate compensation, poor working conditions and frequent delays in deployment—have remained unresolved. It’s disheartening that while the government recognises their importance, little has been done to address these issues comprehensively.
The government needs to learn from other countries that have successfully structured their medical internship programmes. Countries like the United Kingdom and India have well-established internship systems.
In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) allocates significant resources to support medical trainees, offering them clear career progression paths and adequate welfare provisions. Similarly, India’s program provides stipends and subsidised housing to interns, ensuring they can focus on their professional growth without undue financial stress. These systems demonstrate that a robust policy framework and strategic investment can yield tangible results.
By leveraging the county healthcare framework, the government can decentralise internship, ensuring fair distribution of interns across all counties. Counties could allocate funds to cater for stipends and housing, like it happens in South Africa.
Kenya’s health budget, though limited, can be better utilised through public-private partnerships. Canada, for example, has successfully involved private healthcare facilities in hosting medical interns. Kenya can adopt this by incentivising private hospitals to participate in the internship programme through tax breaks or subsidies. This would increase internship opportunities and expose interns to diverse healthcare settings.
Moreover, digital health technologies can be deployed to enhance internship training and monitoring. Platforms for virtual mentorship and online learning modules, as seen in Australia’s medical training system, can ensure interns in remote areas still receive quality supervision.
Kenya has the potential to replicate such successes. By implementing structured policies inspired by global practices, Kenya can secure the future of its healthcare professionals.
Sharon Namarome, Naya Youth Advocate
