why choose us

300×250 Ad Slot

Research Article: Examining the absorption of post-internship medical officers into the public sector at county-level in devolved Kenya: a qualitative case study

Date Published: 2023-09-05

Abstract:
After Kenya’s decentralization and constitutional changes in 2013, 47 devolved county governments are responsible for workforce planning and recruitment including for doctors/medical officers (MO). Data from the Ministry of Health suggested that less than half of these MOs are being absorbed by the public sector between 2015 and 2018. We aimed to examine how post-internship MOs are absorbed into the public sector at the county-level, as part of a broader project focusing on Kenya’s human resources for health.

Introduction:
The estimated density of medical doctors in Kenya, 0.23 per 1000 population in 2020, is significantly lower than average for LMICs (1.4 per 1000 in 2017) [1], and there is disparity between counties in Kenya as well [2]. MO training in Kenya is now offered through 11 medical schools’ Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) programs [3]. This is followed by a one-year mandatory internship in one of 74 training hospitals across the country [4] before they are officially licensed and registered. In…

Read more

300×250 Ad Slot