Doctors have decried lack of consultation from the Ministry of Health during the formulation of the Draft Migration Policy.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union told the Senate Health Committee the decision by the ministry to bypass the union goes against its role in advocating for the protection of the rights of health workers.
KMDPU SG Davji Atellah told the Jackson Mandagor led committee that there is no indication that the ministry consulted the healthcare workers who will be affected by the policy.
“The process is shrouded in mystery, and the-would-be affected persons have mainly remained oblivious to the creation and existence of the policy,” KMPDU SG Davji Atellah told the Jackson Mandagor led committee.
“The existence of the union is rendered superfluous since the state can bypass it when making decisions that affect the union’s members,” he said.
According to the union, the policy contravenes the constitutional requirements of involvement of the people in the policy making process and transparency provided under Articles 10(2) (a) and 232 (1).
The union further noted that about 4,000 qualified jobless doctors are jobless, hence the policy curtails voluntary emigration of doctors to other countries.
This, they said, will only plunge health workers deeper into financial strains and mental health disorders and inhibit their career development.
But a senior ministry official who spoke to The Star said the discussion on the policy has been blown out of proportion, and disputed claims that it seeks to curtail movement of healthcare workers as claimed.
“It is not that we want to restrict movement of healthcare workers out of the country. We have seen that some of them leave the country on their own and end up being mistreated in other countries,” he said.
“The policy simply wants to ensure they leave the country in a legal manner, and as a ministry we are able to know where they are going to so that even in case of an emergency back at home we can be able to send for our own experts to come help us,” he added.
The draft policy according to the ministry was developed through consultative meetings with various stakeholders.
The Health DG noted that migration if not well harnessed have the potential of destabilizing or weakening our health systems through various ways, including antecedent brain drain and long term economic loss on education investments that end up not serving the country’s needs.
The DG further raised concern it can lead to possible exploitation of skilled health professionals by predatory recruitment agencies leading to uncoordinated and unfair labour engagements.
“There is a need to have systematic coordinated and harmonised health workforce migration process that will ensure the country’s mandate to provide health care is maintained,” he said.
