Health unions have renewed their push for a formation of a Health Service Commission.
The unions led by the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union on Thursday said 10 years into devolution, there is a need to conduct an audit on the status of the health sector in the country.
"KMPDU believes that an honest audit of the status of the Kenyan Health Sector 10 years into devolution will reach one conclusion the need for a body akin to the Health Services Commission to harness the deployment of critical personnel and to get our synergy in the sector," KMPDU SG Dr Davji Attellah said.
Atellah has acknowledged that while counties have done well getting many of the lower-level non-skilled Health workers onto their roll, they continue to struggle massively attracting Medical doctors, Dentists and Pharmacists and their attendant Specialists in these fields to take services to the next level.
"It is time the Senate of the Republic of Kenya begun a critical audit of skills in our public health sector and try to match it with the vision of where the sector ought to be heading," he said.
He noted that conducting an audit will reveal a worrying mismatch where patients are increasing yet the counties are unable to attract and retain the crucial skills to render the specialised services these patients need.
He further noted that the country has experienced frequent critical medicine stock-outs, noting that it is time for the country to look critically at how to ensure a continuous and uninterrupted supply of essential medicines to Kenyans.
