CoG blames Duale-led MoH for fuelling health worker strikes

Jukwaa

📻 Breaking It Down

Speaking during a media briefing on Thursday, the Wajir Governor said the Aden Duale-led ministry, alongside other national government agencies, had failed to implement key intergovernmental agreements, resulting in repeated industrial action by doctors and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) workers.

Abdullahi dismissed reports of a looming doctors’ strike, insisting county governments have no dispute with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).

“We have absolutely no issue with the KMPDU. Beginning August, we will start paying doctors the CBA rates as agreed,” he said.

📌 What You Need to Know

He attributed delays in implementing the doctors’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to a year-long wait for a special payroll code from the Ministry of Public Service, saying counties only recently received the clearance required to effect the revised salaries.

“We had no mechanism to pay. We were waiting for a special code from the Ministry of Public Service because this placed doctors above what the HR system could allow. We have just obtained it, and we will pay,” he said.

Abdullahi maintained that the delay was administrative rather than financial, arguing that counties could not process the enhanced salaries until the payroll system was updated.

The CoG chair also defended county governments over the ongoing nationwide strike by UHC workers, blaming the Ministry of Health for failing to honour agreements reached with counties on funding and implementation of the programme.

“If the national government respected all the agreements that we have had with respect to UHC, there would be no UHC worker out there demonstrating or striking,” he said.

“All we’re saying is, let every person keep their part of the bargain. Put this money where we’ve agreed it should be put, and we’ll pay the UHC workers.”

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya

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