The process to have a Health Service Commission is beyond the Ministry of Health's mandate.
Health CS Susan Nakhumicha said even though the idea is ideal, it will require a constitutional process and review.
Nakhumicha spoke on Wednesday when she appeared before the Senate to respond to questions on the ongoing doctors' strike among other issues in the health sector.
"Having a Health Service Commission would be ideal but that process would be outside the mandate of the Ministry of Health, it would be a constitutional question," Nakhumicha said.
"Since the conversation is ongoing and if everyone believes that is the direction to be taken then we as a ministry are happy that the process of having a HSC through a constitutional process is started so that is achieved," Nakhumicha said.
Health unions have been fighting for a centralized body anchored in the Constitution that would handle all matters within healthcare.
They said this will be the lasting solution to all problems facing the health sector in the country.
The push by the unions was backed by Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli.
According to Atwoli, failure by the counties to effectively manage the affairs of the health workers has resulted in perennial problems of strikes that have continued to hamper service delivery to Kenyans.
“County governments must respect our doctors, to train a doctor is not easy, to train a doctor is very expensive and when it comes to payment they kick them left and right,” he said.
Nakhumicha in May last year appointed several people to the Kenya Health Human Resource Advisory Council.
This was after President William Ruto in April recommended the formation of a Kenya Human Resource Advisory Council.
The Council was tasked with addressing all the constant challenges facing the health sector in the country between the counties, the national government, and the healthcare workers.
The President said the Council is already provided for in law and called on the counties to nominate members to the board.
“We can use it to iron out some of the issues raised by our health workers and I think we now have a template on how we can resolve these things in a way that gives everybody a chance around a table,” President Ruto said.
