No crisis over doctors quitting, says Ruto

Governors have denied claims that doctors are resigning en masse from public hospitals, and instead accused secretive rogue officials at the Ministry of Health of spreading propaganda.

Chairman of the Council of Governors, Mr Isaac Ruto, said that in his Bomet County, for example, six doctors had left — including the medical superintendent, who is now in Makueni — as a “matter of choice”.

“However, after they left, they have since been replaced by 11 doctors, who include consultants. This shows that doctors are switching to counties of their choice and there is, therefore, no serious issue on their resignations,” Mr Ruto said.

According to Mr Ruto, the “dishonest” campaign about the doctors’ resignations is being orchestrated by unscrupulous public officials who previously controlled the finances of public hospital health boards.

“This is a scheme by the barons at the Ministry of Health who are engaging in dishonest propaganda since they are opposed to devolution. They were used to supplying air (instead of drugs and other medical supplies) and that is why they are unhappy with the current scenario where we are supervising the supply and expenditure at the respective hospitals,” Mr Ruto added.

The governor said since the implementation of devolution, the supply of drugs and medical equipment by the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) had increased by 30 per cent.

“In Bomet, for example, we have seen an improvement in the delivery of services at our health facilities due to supply of drugs and medical equipment, including a renal (kidney) machine and linen. We have also constructed an ICU wing.

Not an issue

“Currently, we are in the process of buying a CT scanner for the county hospital,” he added.

The governor said the county’s budgetary allocation to the health sector was Sh700 million, 10 times more than it was before devolution. He asserted that doctors abandoning work in public hospitals in favour of their private clinics “was not an issue”.

“The report by the Controller of Budget shows that counties were utilising funds more prudently in the health sector compared to when the money was controlled by the Ministry of Health,” he said.

Health Secretary James Macharia said although Mr Ruto was right in asserting there was no major crisis, it was wrong to claim there were officials at Afya House pursuing devolved funds.

“In the last six months, for example, only 150 doctors have resigned out of the 3,300 doctors working in public hospitals. Those who opted to resign were holding two jobs — some with NGOs — and after a clean-up of the payroll was done, they decided to resign. Others opted to go into private practice . . . The movement (resignation) was expected and there is, therefore, no disaster or crisis in the health sector,” Mr Macharia said.

The official promised to issue a more comprehensive statement later but added that resignations had been reported in Embu, Mombasa and Nairobi counties.

Administrative issues

“In Embu County the resignation of 16 doctors was as a result of administrative issues and not policy, and the ministry could, therefore, not intervene.”

On claims by Mr Ruto that the ministry had earlier failed to provide counties with the correct payroll reflecting doctors’ allowances, Mr Macharia said the anomaly had occurred in 23 counties but the issue has since been addressed.

On Monday, Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union official, Dr Wambui Waithaka, said 112 doctors had resigned in the last five months. According to the health workers lobby, the cause of resignations was “gross” mismanagement of the critical sector.

She cited missed salaries, pay cuts and frozen promotions as the main indicators of a failing health system.

Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Garissa, Kisii, Meru, Murang’a and Mombasa were the hardest-hit counties.

Those who resigned include psychiatrists, physicians, anaethetists, surgeons, and obstetricians/gynaecologists.

Dr Waithaka said doctors were disappointed for being labelled “saboteurs of devolution” yet they were calling for a systematic way to address the management of health within the set time-frame of three years. “We are not against devolving of health care. It’s the rolling out that makes us unhappy because it’s unprofessional,” Dr Waithaka added.

Mr Macharia said his hands are tied by law regarding the extent to which he can get involved.

“Whereas I have the overall responsibility of running the health sector, constitutional limitations discourage me from getting into the administrative matters of health facilities that now lie with the county governments,” he said.