Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Chairperson, Lynn Mengich, has provided an explanation for the recommended Sh70,000 stipend for medical interns. Mengich stated that the commission’s advice to revise the figure downwards from the previous amount of Sh206,000 was based on the principles of affordability, sustainability, fairness, and equity.
During an interview on Citizen TV, Mengich highlighted two main reasons for the recommendation. The first reason is the affordability and fiscal sustainability of paying higher amounts. The commission assessed whether the country could sustain paying more than the advised amount.
Mengich emphasized that the current changes would not affect interns who are already earning a different amount. The SRC’s advisory is in accordance with its constitutional mandate, as the commission is responsible for advising on remuneration funded by public funds.
“The first principle is that the wage bill must be fiscally sustainable, so we are bound by that,” Mengich explained. “Therefore, when circumstances in the country indicate that we cannot afford higher payments, it is our responsibility to advise accordingly.”
Mengich pointed out that there has been an increase in the number of graduates and healthcare professionals entering the workforce in recent years. Considering future sustainability and the rising numbers, it is financially impractical to continue paying higher salaries to interns.
Fairness and equity are also essential principles guiding the recommendation. Currently, the highest-paid intern in the government receives Sh25,000. Mengich stressed that it would be unfair to provide interns with a higher salary than the entry point pay of doctors who have completed their internship, which is Sh206,000.
“It’s not justifiable to pay interns a higher salary when the entry point pay for doctors who have completed their internship is Sh206,000. The fact that it happened in the past does not make it right,” Mengich explained.
Mengich clarified that the recommended stipend is not a reduction since it applies to interns who have just graduated from university and are not currently earning any amount. She emphasized that what has been set is a new stipend for newly posted interns, and the notion of reduction is incorrect because one can only reduce something that already exists.
Overall, the SRC’s recommendation for a Sh70,000 stipend for medical interns is based on considerations of affordability, sustainability, fairness, and equity, taking into account the fiscal limitations and the entry point pay for doctors who have completed their internship.
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