Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale says he will refer to the EACC cases of thousands of ghost health workers under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program.
Duale says the ministry is currently carrying out a vetting and verification exercise which should be completed by next week, after which the genuine ones will be hired on permanent and pensionable terms.
“I have the money from Parliament to hire the UHC staff, but they should not harass me because we are yet to finish the vetting exercise,” said Duale.
He said from the current records, thousands of the UHC workers were hired irregularly and were earning illegally, and that their cases may be handled by the EACC.
“The numbers that we are seeing indicate that there were thousands of ghost workers and we will have to deal with them as per the law,” said the CS.
The CS said thousands of people were hired as nurses, yet they are not trained as nurses, and had just been earning as ghost workers.
“If you are not a nurse by profession and you have been earning public money all these years, then know that you will face the law. You must refund our money,” said Duale.
He warned the UHC workers not to push the government with protests, letters, or messages seeking to force things because the vetting must be completed.
“Once we are done with vetting sometime next week, we will employ the nurses on permanent and pensionable terms,” he said.
He said he had a job to do in ensuring that the healthcare system works for the benefit of Kenyans and not for the workers or other parties.
“The boss of the healthcare system is the patient and not the workers, the leaders, or the hospitals. We have to focus on the dignity of the patients who are the most important people in the health system,” said the CS.
Duale was speaking in Uasin Gishu County where he flagged off the supply of drugs to hospitals in the county and later presided over the opening of an MTC college at Burnt Forest.
The CS noted that Uasin Gishu was currently in position 18 among counties in terms of registration to the SHA.
He said the county had registered about 480,000 people, with another 700,000 yet to be registered.
Duale said primary healthcare at hospitals below level four was free and that Kenyans should not be asked to pay for anything.
“They should simply walk into hospitals, get treated, and be given medicine, after which they walk out without paying anything,” said the CS.
He said President William Ruto had succeeded in implementing universal healthcare, with over 25 million people so far registered in the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
He said there was now equity in access to health insurance, with all Kenyans, regardless of their status, benefiting from SHA services.
He was with Uasin Gishu Governor Dr. Jonathan Bii, area Senator Jackson Mandago, and nominated MP Joseph Wainaina.
