The government has denied claims there are 1,400 jobless doctors in the Country.
State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu on Sunday said doctors are the only cadre of professionals that are posted directly to hospitals from college.
KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga on Saturday criticised
the
government
for bringing new doctors from Tanzania yet Kenya has many unemployed doctors.
"Kenya has
about 1,400 doctors awaiting employment.
It would be very costly and therefore a show of imprudent public finance management to have 500 Tanzania doctors at Sh20,000 per day," Oluga said.
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But Speaking during a press briefing on Sunday,
Esipisu said the information about 1,400 doctors was "misguided".
"Doctors are absorbed into service first as interns and after a year confirmed as medical officers once they finish their studies," he said.
Esipisu said some doctors leave to expend all their energies in private practice while others stick in Government while still committing large chunks of their time to private practice.
"President Uhuru Kenyatta has been concerned about the doctor: patient ratio for some time and has been determined to improve it," he said.
He said it was due to these concerns that Health CS Cleopa Mailu visited Cuba and Tanzania to bridge the gap and bring in the right skills.
On Saturday,
Tanzanian President John Magufuli said they will send 500 doctors to Kenya to help address medics shortage in the country.
Magufuli said the doctors will also help mitigate the
effects of just ended strike.
"The doctors will be paid at par, according to their experience and skills, with the package offer Government has made to Kenyan intern doctors and Medical Officers, and on a contract basis,” Esipisu said.
Esipisu said the Tanzanian doctors will come in on a cost effective basis.
"The fact that the doctors have no access to the mortgage, car loan packages or pension offered under Kenya’s public service scheme means that they will come in at a cost effective and sustainable basis," he said.
He said
the curriculum in East African medical schools was rationalised adding "a doctor qualifying in any East African country can work in another without further examination."
“Kenyans work across our region – in Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia and even Ethiopia – and that nationals of these countries can work here without any hurdles," he said.
Esipisu said doctors from Tanzania will be issued with work permits and limited to working in public hospitals they have been assigned.
“They will give their full attention to patients in public hospitals across the country. They will not be involved in private practice,” he said.
The doctors ended their 100-day strike last week.
Health CS Cleopa Mailu, PS Nicholas Muraguri, Council of Governors chair Peter Munya and KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga signed the deal.
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The medics wanted a 300 per cent pay rise and better working conditions, in line with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
They took the CBA to court for registration last year, but justice Monica Mbaru ruled that the union had to negotiate a new one with the Health ministry, Salaries and Remuneration Commission and the counties.
Counties now employ nearly 90 percent of doctors but were not involved in the 2013 CBA.
Working conditions subject to review include job structures, criteria for promotions and the understaffing of medical professionals in government hospitals.
Doctors also accused the government of failing to stock public hospitals with basic medicines and supplies of items such as gloves.