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The posting of Clinical officers interns is likely to start in May after a long waiting period.

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers in a statement said a series of meetings with the Ministry of Health has begun bearing fruits, with the ministry indicating the focus on the group will see them posted in May.

The clinicians include degree and diploma holders.

“Clinical officers interns posting and payment have been an intermittent thorny issue affecting our cadre and as a union,” KUCO SG George Gibore said.

“We are mindful that the Diploma and Degree Clinical pre-interns 2022 cohort have not been posted for their internship occasioning unnecessary delay,” he added.

The union has in the recent past been following up on the matter, including petitioning Parliament and holding meetings with the two health PSs.

“The indication from last week Thursday meeting, the ministry is focusing to have these groups posted for interns around May,” he said.

The 1,848 clinical interns were due to be posted in December but the union says despite there being a budget for the same, the fate of the interns had remained unclear.

The ministry is supposed to post clinical officers interns on internship which is a legal provision for them and a prerequisite for them so that they can be able to be licensed to practice.

The union officials when appearing before the Senate Health Committee on last month expressed concern that the delay in posting the interns could endanger the lives of Kenyans.

Medical doctor interns were posted in January under a directive by Health CS Susan Wafula following meetings with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists and Pharmacists’ Union and the Council of Governors.

Doctors had threatened to withdraw their services if their interns were not posted.