Toe the line or ship out, governors tell medics
Kisumu County governor Jack Ranguma at a past function. Kisumu County saved Sh2.3 million that would have been paid to ghost workers in January salaries, a preliminary assessment has indicated. FILE PHOTO |
What you need to know:
- According to paragraph two of the Fourth Schedule, county governments are to be in charge of health facilities and pharmacies, ambulance services and promoting primary health care.
- In a statement issued on Wednesday, governors said the strike was illegal and that they had resorted to hiring staff to replace those who had absconded duty.
Governors have told off striking medical practitioners, saying devolving of health services is anchored on the Constitution.
According to paragraph two of the Fourth Schedule, county governments are to be in charge of health facilities and pharmacies, ambulance services and promoting primary health care.
But medical practitioners say there are no appropriate measures put in place to ensure devolution of health services. On the other hand, governors maintain that the practitioners’ reluctance to go the county way is a setback to the counties’ commitment to take services closer to the people.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, governors said the strike was illegal and that they had resorted to hiring staff to replace those who had absconded duty.
“County governments are taking all necessary steps to save lives and normalise healthcare services in all the 47 counties and this now includes the recruitment of staff,” said Mr Jack Ranguma, the chairman of the council of governors’ health committee.
NO CHOICE
Mr Ranguma’s statement affirmed that the health practitioners had no choice but to work with the county governments.
“Doctors as well as other professionals have been devolved to the extent that they work in counties on devolved functions... (they) are now deemed to work for the county government pursuant to the provisions of Section 138 (1) of the County Governments Act,” Mr Ranguma said.
Last week, Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, who also chairs the council of governors, was categorical that medics had to toe the line or go elsewhere.
“Health workers who are unwilling to work with us should prepare to go back to the national government for either re-deployment or retrenchment, whichever may apply,” Mr Ruto said.
Mr Ruto’s Migori counterpart Okoth Obado was of a similar opinion.
“Their desire to revert to national Government can only be effected through a referendum and not through strike, since the devolution of the health sector is anchored in the Constitution,” he said.
Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya said he didn’t understand why the practitioners downed their tools in the first place. “I’m surprised that they went ahead to abandon patients to suffer when their grievances can best be addressed through negotiations,” Mr Oparanya said.
