The Ministry of Health and Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union have agreed that all interns will be posted beginning April 1, 2024.
KMPDU officials held a meeting with the ministry officials on Monday morning to unlock the stalemate surrounding the posting of interns.
The Ministry and the health union had clashed on the posting date for unions.
In a briefing to the media after the meeting, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha said progress had been made in addressing issues that lie within the ministry.
She however said matters that require multi-stakeholder engagement will be addressed in a meeting that will be held later this week.
On the issue of posting interns which lies within the ministry mandate, it was agreed that the union will take part in the review of the internship policy to ensure it is aligned to Universal Health Coverage and it addresses all the emerging issues that have existed.
The review process is currently ongoing and is chaired by the Health DG Patrick Amoth.
"We have received confirmation from Treasury and beginning April 1 which is in two weeks, we are going to begin posting of all the interns," Nakhumicha said.
The CS however said the union had requested for time to speak to its members on whether to call off the strike.
She said a team led by Amoth is on the ground to assess any impact of the strike on the healthcare services in the country.
"As much as we had some small pockets of here and there, largely services have been uninterrupted in many of the facilities and with the goodwill that we have had in discussion this morning, we hope then that should be the position that services continue to be availed to Kenyans," Nakhumicha said.
On the issue of the lapsed Collective bargaining agreement, it was agreed that the ministry would proceed with the negotiations.
The CS said the union had written to the ministry on the CBA with the ministry having written back with a counter offer but both parties were yet to sit at the table and discuss the matter.
"We have agreed that within this week, the ministry will call for a meeting so that matters that are in the CBA can be addressed and negotiations begin," the CS assured.
