Clinicians have given the government 14 days to act on their grievances or they call on their members to hold peaceful demonstrations.
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers on December 15 outlined various challenges that remain unaddressed more than a decade since health was devolved.
Key among them was the formation of a national joint taskforce on health by the President to conduct an audit in the health sector.
“It is regrettable that more than a month later we are yet to receive any response or any indication that the government is doing something to address this matter,” Kuco secretary general George Gibore said.
Clinicians have demanded that health be given utmost priority for the attainment of the highest standards of health services to all Kenyans as dictated by the constitution.
“We call upon the President to listen to the health workers and other health stakeholders and appoint a joint national taskforce on health that will be a game changer and catalyst to the attainment of UHC,” Gibore said.
The union wants the taskforce constituted to undertake an evaluation of the last decade since the devolution of health with a view to recommending solutions that will put health back on the progress towards attainment of vision 2030.
The union recommended that the taskforce will provide a framework for the establishment of a Health Commission for the management of human resources for health without undermining devolution.
They have further decried of benefits payable to clinical officers by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission in the public service remuneration and benefits letter compendium released in December.
According to Gibore, the omission of some of the allowances payable to clinical officers in the public sector was ‘deliberate and intended to humiliate them.’
“Fair remuneration is a right guaranteed by the constitution of Kenya under article 41, and there are numerous international conventions that prohibit the review of salaries to the disadvantage of workers,” he said.
The union has decried a plan by SRC to review the salaries of healthcare workers downwards by removing some allowances.
According to the union, health workers have been faced with a myriad of challenges in the last 10 years as most county governments have failed to prioritise their welfare.
Other issues they want to be addressed include the posting of medical interns, employment of UHC staff into permanent and pensionable terms.
