CoG dismisses MoH-level talks as untenable, asks medics to face counties » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 16 — The Council of Governors (COG) has accused striking medical professionals of an attempt to distort facts over their insistence on a national-level discourse on the ongoing strike.
CoG on Tuesday challenged doctors, clinicians, and nurses to face their respective employers in counties vowing to reject any concessions made by the national government.
“However, this is not tenable as both the National and County Governments are independent and distinct employers,” CoG Chairperson Anne Waiguru said.
While the Governors’ Council acknowledged the court-ordered mediation between the government and unions including Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU), the league insisted on county-level talks.
“As we await the Court to make a determination on this matter tomorrow 17th April 2024. It is noted that Health workers have absconded duty contrary to the Court directive and therefore County Governments will institute disciplinary action against them,” Waiguru said following a Council meeting.
Devolved function
The CoG also expressed concerns over the renewed advocacy for a National Health Service Commission, pointing out that senior medical doctors receive salaries 103 per cent higher than their non-health public service workers and their private sector counterparts.
The CoG reiterated its commitment to addressing the crisis, emphasizing the categorization of doctors as essential workers who should not abandon their duties.
CoG warned should the national government agree to implement the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), it would significantly impact the basic pay of all civil servants and necessitate additional resource allocation to the counties.
The CoG also addressed the issue of postgraduate training for health professionals saying counties have granted 890 doctors, pharmacists, and dentists leave for further studies and continue to pay their salaries.
“This situation deprives Counties of substantial amounts of resources which could otherwise [be] used to recruit more doctors to handle patients while the rest are on post-graduate training,” Waiguru explained.
Medical professionals downed their tools on March 13 after KMPDU demanded the Ministry of Health (MoH) retain intern doctors on a Sh206,000 salary.
KMPDU rejected MoH’s offer of Sh70,000 for inter doctors with the ministry insisting that was what it could cater for with a Sh2.4 billion allocation.
Afya House argued it would need Sh4.9 billion to meet the Sh206,000 demand.
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