- Waiguru says that the 72 practitioners have been paid their May and June salaries and will be paid their arrears in phases as per binding agreement.
- She says Kerugoya Level Five Hospital would soon open its doors to the residents, offering them the specialised services previously sought elsewhere.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has reinstated 72 suspended health workers into the payroll and renewed contracts for 388 others.
Waiguru also agreed to pay the health workers' salary arrears dating back to 2019 when they had been suspended following a strike.
In a meeting between the medics and the governor on Wednesday in Kagio, Waiguru said some of the 388 health workers whose contracts were renewed include 252 nurses, 73 clinical officers and 18 medical officers.
Others include 30 medical lab technologists, four dental officers, four radiographers, two pharmacists and five orthopedic trauma technologists. The contracts will run for the next three years.
The governor said the 72 practitioners have been paid their May and June salaries and will be paid their arrears in phases as per binding agreement between the county and the medics.
She said a total budget of Sh280 million has been set aside to take care of the health workers pay, noting that 60 per cent of the county’s budget goes to the health sector to cater for both development and recurrent needs.
Waiguru also promised to absorb the medics into permanent and pensionable terms in her next term as governor. She however urged them to continue giving their best to the residents, adding that the county’s healthcare provision has greatly improved.
“Our aim is to make Kirinyaga a world class model in provision of health services,” the governor said.
The reinstated medics said they will continue rendering high quality services to the people of Kirinyaga and thanked the governor for reinstating them. They said the move will enable them to live a more dignified life and motivate them further in their service.
Waiguru said Kerugoya Level Five Hospital would soon open its doors to the residents, offering them the specialised services previously sought elsewhere.
She added that the facility will also offer the medics an opportunity to serve in a high-end medical facility right within the county.
The Kirinyaga county chief said the completion and equipment of dispensaries has also enhanced the provision of primary healthcare in the region.
(edited by Amol Awuor)