• Salaries and Remuneration Commission gave the Treasury green light on May to release Sh3 billion to pay frontline health workers.
• The CAS said it is a matter of time before the funds are dispatched to the healthcare workers
Allowances for frontline health workers in the Covid-19 war are now available, the Ministry of Health has said.
Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi announced this on Saturday during a Covid-10 status update in Kwale county.
"The money is availed. Treasury has given us confirmation that these funds are available," Mwangangi said.
The CAS said it is a matter of time before the funds are dispatched to the healthcare workers for the initial three months since the country confirmed the first virus case.
She added that plans are underway to ensure medics are supported even as the virus continues to bite.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission in May gave the Treasury the green light to release Sh3 billion to pay frontline health workers.
Treasury CS Ukur Yatani, SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich said the national government and the counties can proceed and pay the allowances.
This after deliberations during SRC's 117th Special Meeting on April 28.
Mwangani further said those who might succumb and their relatives will be protected.
"We are putting in place measures to ensure that any healthcare worker who may succumb to this disease is also protected and particularly their family members who remain behind are protected."
Two more medical workers have succumbed to the virus, according to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board chairperson Samuel Oroko has said.
This brings to three, the number of health workers who have succumbed to the virus.
The first was gynaecologist Dr Adisa Lugalika who died on Friday.
Oroko urged the government to come clear on the issue of settlement of bills by healthcare workers who get admitted with Covid-19.