Clinical officers threaten to down tools over unpaid salaries

Clinical officers across the country are planning to down their tools from Friday over unpaid perks.

The disgruntled health workers plan to paralyse services in health centres countrywide in a strike organised by their union in the November to push for settlement of salaries and other benefits.

DEMANDS

According to Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (Kuco) Deputy Secretary Austin Oduor, more than 7,000 clinical officers are expected to participate in the go slow.

“We have mapped out major offices in Nairobi, which include Afya Centre, Council of Governors offices and Harambee where we will organise major sit-ins until our issues as a union are addressed,” Mr Oduor said Wednesday.

Clinical officers are demanding an increase of risk and call allowances from Sh3,000 and Sh10,000 to Sh30,000 and Sh70,000 respectively.

They also want the health workers’ allowances increased from Sh20,000 to Sh30,000.

The officers also want the government to employ an additional 4,700 officers and for it to put in place a revamped comprehensive medical cover.

Speaking in Migori where they addressed the press, Mr Oduor said the union's attempts to have the national and county governments solve the stalemate over the clinicians’ demands have proved futile as there is 'no one to listen to them'.

In 2017, negotiations were held between the parties who agreed to revise the scheme of work among clinical officers. This is yet to be actualised.

The negotiations also included a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to unlock pending promotions and salary increment, a matter they vowed to table in court.

Kuco also demands apology from government after police used teargas last week against a demonstration by their interns over pending six months’ salary allocation.

“We are aware that interns in various facilities have been working consistently throughout the week, without pay. Our strike will be a reprieve to their plight,” Maureen Maramba, Migori branch secretary said.

Mr Chris Onditi, the Migori branch chairman said their demands were geared towards improving healthcare in public facilities that will go a long way in benefiting all Kenyans.

“We have an acute shortage of clinical officers in the country who have been filing up for the huge shortage of doctors in the country, we need these addressed in better remuneration,” Mr Onditi said.

Migori branch treasurer Ms Sheila Abuyu noted that their counterparts in private hospitals will be flushed out to join in the strike in a show of solidarity.

“We are humans, we have families to take care of and for us to remain unpaid for over six months while working in facilities is sad,” said Mr Joash Wasonga, the chairman of intern clinical officers at Kisii Referral Hospital said.

“The issue revolving around our pay, despite allocation being made, has been a circus which we hope the strike will tackle,” he stated.

Clinical officers play a central role in Kenya's medical sector today. They are trained for four years — three in school and a year of internship at designated teaching hospitals.

The internship involves supervised rotations in the major clinical departments, namely casualty, medicine, paediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology.

They are supervised by consultants in the respective fields.

The workers say the government’s 'Big Four' agenda will remain a pipe dream if the welfare of health workers is not addressed.