Narok clinical officers down tools demanding allowances

Clinical officers in Narok County staged a demonstration outside the county headquarters on February 22, 2017 demanding promotions and harmonisation of their salaries. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • They accuse the government of failing to harmonise their salaries to match the nursing service allowance.
  • They vowed not to resume duties until the emergency call and health service allowances are reviewed.
  • Those in Job group H are demanding an increase of Sh25,000 on their current basic salary.

Clinical officers in Narok County on Wednesday staged demonstrations and camped outside the county headquarters demanding promotions and harmonisation of their salaries.

The officers downed their tools, accusing the government of failing to harmonise their salaries to match the nursing service allowance awarded last December.

They vowed not to resume duties until the emergency call allowances and health service allowances are reviewed.

The strike could further paralyse medical services in the county as doctors demanding better pay have boycotted work for 81 days now.

Following the protests, the county government hurriedly convened a closed-door meeting with the more than 100 clinical officers in a bid to find a way forward.

Their officials, under the Kenya Health Professionals Society (KHPS), said the clinicians handle cases that nurses cannot, yet they have been discriminated upon.

PROMOTIONS

Led by their chairman, Henry Twala, a radiographer, Mr James Remoine, an anaesthetist and Ms Mary Chesang, a clinical officer, the clinicians also demanded promotions, better pay and improved allowances.

They said their current terms of service are demoralising.

In an interview with the Nation, the union officials accused the national and county governments of discrimination.

The group said they also need specialist clinical officers to get collar allowances like surgeons.

Narok County Public Health Executive Vivian Sereti urged the clinicians to present their complaints for consideration.

CALL FOR DIALOGUE

“A problem cannot be solved by people marching on the streets but through dialogue. Employees cannot protest before giving talks a chance,” said Ms Sereti.

The 17 cadres of health professionals in Narok under KHPS are demanding a uniform health service allowance of Sh20,000 in addition to their salaries varying from Job group H to K under which they fall.

Those in Job group H are demanding an increase of Sh25,000 on their current basic salary, extraneous allowance of Sh20,000, commuter allowance of Sh4,000 and house allowance of Sh5,800.

“All the cadres differ according to Job groups but all of us are demanding the same additional allowance of Sh20,000, the same as nurses who received theirs in December.

“Clinical officers are demanding call allowances like the ones for doctors,” said Mr Twala.