Doctors want oversight agency set up
What you need to know:
- County governments ‘lack knowledge of running human resource in sector’.
- Medics say an agency that will handle their issues will end the crisis in healthcare.
Doctors have called for the formation of a commission to end the crisis in the health sector.
They said the health service commission would manage the human resource. This, according to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU), would ensure quality services and equity among health workers in the 47 counties.
The union officials on Thursday said most counties have no knowledge of managing the human resource in the health sector. They said some health workers were resigning due to salary delays, non-payment of allowances, lack of promotions and harassment by county chiefs.
KMPDU National Chairman Samuel Oroko said the commission would deal with issues such as payment of salaries, promotions, licensing and transfers.
“Health workers are professionals and the creation of a body to handle their issues will clean up the mess in the sector,” said Dr Oroko. He spoke in Nakuru on Wednesday.
The team would also address underfunding in the sector, as well as deal with training of health staff, career progression and discipline.
On Tuesday, the Council of Governors clashed with the National Assembly’s Health Committee over the state of services offered by public hospitals in Kenya.
The lawmakers said the quality of health services had deteriorated but the council maintained there had been an improvement after devolution.
The country has witnessed a series of strikes by health workers complaining about promotions and delayed salaries. Many are yet to receive their July pay.
PERENNIAL PROBLEMS
Nakuru County is the hardest hit, with the health workers having gone on strike seven times since devolution started.
However, Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto told the Health Committee that the perennial problems in the sector were due to issues emanating from the National Treasury.
KMPDU’s secretary-general for the South Rift region, Dr Oruko Sitima, blamed the mess on lack of quality management by the devolved units.
He warned that there would be more problems if regional governments continued to “mismanage” the human resource.
The official said streamlining the sector would stop doctors from moving from one county to another.
“Once this (streamlining) is done, there would be no need for health workers to seek transfers, for better deals,” said Dr Oroko.
Under the centralised system, the majority of doctors preferred to work in Nairobi and surrounding counties, including Kiambu. This enabled them to remain on the government payroll while earning extra income working in private hospitals.
