There are claims that the HSE is planning to cut almost half of newly-qualified doctors in Kerry.
That's according to Dr Cormac Duff, a paediatric doctor, who is part of the Keep Our Doctors campaign.
University Hospital Kerry currently has 28 intern doctors, however, Dr Cormac Duff says in July UHK will lose 12 such doctors.
He says additional intern positions were announced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, he says it's been decided not to offer the additional jobs to this year's cohort of interns.
Dr Duff says this will result in the vast majority of international graduating doctors being forced to leave Ireland to work as doctors and he says our health service will be left ever more understaffed.
Medicine students who are graduating this year are calling on Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to reverse this decision and have set up an online petition, which has been singed by over 3,100 people.
Dr Duff is urging people in the county to contact the Health Minister and their local TDs to urge them to keep these doctors at UHK.
Dr Cormac Duff says these doctors are needed to ensure the smooth running of our health service:
Radio Kerry News has contacted UHK for comment on the matter.
