Govt to set up special unit to tackle health workers' issues

Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia on Thursday ruled out the creation of a Health Service Commission for health workers, saying such a move would be unconstitutional.

Mr Macharia said the government instead was working on a special administrative unit specifically dedicated to tackling health workers’ issues.

The unit would be established within the Public Service Commission (PSC) to address the workers’ issues.

He said the unit, expected to be ready in a month’s time, was a viable option and would handle issues such as promotion, training and transfers that the health workers have been grappling with.

Mr Macharia said the Council of Governors, ministry representatives, the PSC and other relevant stakeholders would be involved to ensure the idea is universally acceptable.

He was accompanied by the director of medical services, Dr Nicholas Muraguri, and Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board Chief Executive Officer Daniel Yumbya

Mr Macharia revealed that the ministry had held negotiations with the PSC and the head of Public Service, Mr Joseph Kinyua, and agreed that such a unit would offer long-term solutions to the health crisis.

He downplayed claims that there were plans to return health functions to the national government.

He said the challenges being experienced were due to the uncertainty that health workers felt when they heard they could work under counties.

“The turbulence in the human resource management was expected. It will be naïve to assume that the teething problems could not have been there in such a dramatic move to devolve staff,” Mr Macharia said.

The senators insisted that the national government must be committed to working with governors to ensure the gains realised under devolution are not derailed due to human resource issues that have threatened services at the counties.