Public health crisis looms as doctors quit over devolution
FILE | NATION
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists union secretary general Sultani Matendechere addresses journalists in Nairobi when the union issued the 21-day strike notice on November 5.
What you need to know:
- The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) secretary-general Sultani Matendechere is now warning that more doctors are likely to resign over the uncertainty precipitated by the transfer of their services from the national to county governments.
- On November 5, Dr Matendechere and representatives of nurses and other health workers, issued a 21-day strike notice which will end next week in which they demanded that a Health Service Commission be established first to coordinate the critical issues of devolution in the health sector.
The crisis in the health sector over devolution is worsening as more doctors leave public sector jobs to pursue private practice.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) secretary-general Sultani Matendechere is now warning that more doctors are likely to resign over the uncertainty precipitated by the transfer of their services from the national to county governments.
Dr Matendechere says about 500 doctors have resigned since April when talk of their imminent transfer to the counties started.
“In the last three days, for example, the union has received 30 letters from doctors who intend to resign from the ministry of Health but we are pleading with them not to resign as we await the outcome of our case which is in court. The number of doctors working in the Ministry of Health has now dropped from the more than 4,000 to 3,500 and more are expected to resign.”
“While some have been hired as County directors of health, a majority are resigning to join private hospitals or starting their own health centres,” he said.
According to government figures, the country faces a shortage of 20,000 doctors and between 40,000 and 60,000 nurses.
Dr Matendechere identified the threat of having their salaries slashed by the county governments and fear of mistreatment by governors and MCAs as some of the reasons that compel doctors to resign.
“In Machakos County for example, some county officials are warning doctors who are do not hail from the area that they will be kicked-out while others are interfering in the treatment of patients by giving doctors orders on who they should treat first when an accident occurs.”
“This is demeaning to doctors because they are receiving these orders even before the governors and MCAs take full control of the health sector,” he said.
According to him, this intimidation, hostility and even tribalisation of the health sector is fuelling the resignation and threatening operations of the sector.
On Monday, Devolution Secretary Anne Waiguru assured that the government was keen to avert the planned health workers’ strike.
Ms Waiguru had said the Health ministry would meet the workers’ unions and Parliamentary Committee last week to resolve the conflict but Dr Matendechere the meeting did not take place.
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM
Speaking after presiding over the African Statistics Day held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Ms Waiguru said: “I would like to reassure the doctors and nurses that there is no cause for alarm because their concerns will be addressed during the meeting with other stakeholders in the health sector.”
Doctors, nurses and other health workers are opposed to the transfer of their functions from the National to County Governments from December 31.
On November 5, Dr Matendechere and representatives of nurses and other health workers, issued a 21-day strike notice which will end next week in which they demanded that a Health Service Commission be established first to coordinate the critical issues of devolution in the health sector.
However, speaking to the Sunday Nation, the doctor said despite a series of “internal” meetings with Ministry of Health officials during this week, they have realised that the issue of devolution of essential services provided by the doctors and other health workers was beyond the scope of the ministry.
“We need the Health Service Commission to be established as a matter of urgency so that it can be able to have serious discussions on devolution of the health sector with other players such as the Transition Authority, Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC), Council of Governors, Commission of Revenue Authority and Parliamentary Committee on Health to resolve the looming crisis,”he added
Dr Matendechere said about 500 doctors have resigned since April when talk of their imminent transfer to the counties started.
“In the last three days, for example, the union has received 30 letters from doctors who intend to resign from the ministry of Health but we are pleading with them not to resign as we await the outcome of our case which is in court.
The number of doctors working in the Ministry of Health has now dropped from the more than 4,000 to 3,500 and more are expected to resign.”
“While some have been hired as County directors of health, a majority are resigning to join private hospitals or starting their own health centres,” he said.
