HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, POST, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"count": 1608389,
"next": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=api&page=139631",
"previous": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=api&page=139629",
"results": [
{
"id": 1412711,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412711/?format=api",
"text_counter": 137,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Susan Nakhumicha",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health",
"speaker": null,
"content": "On the Question raised by Hon. Tim Wanyonyi, as of February 2024, the Ministry had 3,759 interns for posting under different cadres as indicated. 1. Medical Officer Interns 849 2. Dentist Interns 72 3. Pharmacist Interns 289 4. Nursing (Degree) Interns 1,134 5. Clinical (Degree) Interns 145 6. Clinical (Diploma) Interns 1,270 Of these that I have mentioned, 1,270 clinical officers (Diploma) interns were posted and have already reported to their placement centres. Another 1,210 medical officers, dental officers and pharmacists have been posted and their letters of posting were sent to their emails and they ought to have reported by 15th April 2024. The Ministry has started taking stock from the internship centres to determine how many have so far reported. The Ministry is now in the process of finalising the process for posting the 2,404 nursing and clinical (degree) interns who will start collecting their letters which have been equally posted to their emails. They also ought to report starting the 15th of April, which has already passed. However, Hon. Members, I would like to note that there was a delay in the posting of interns due to lack of budgetary allocations. In the FY 2023/2024, the Ministry was allocated Ksh3,688,166,173 to cater for the internship programme against a requirement of Ksh5,738,217,551 resulting in a gap of Ksh2,050,051,378. This gap was considered during Supplementary Estimate No.1 and was able to cater only for the 4,156 interns who were posted in July 2023."
},
{
"id": 1412712,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412712/?format=api",
"text_counter": 138,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Susan Nakhumicha",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health",
"speaker": null,
"content": "The Ministry appealed to the National Treasury to provide funding of Ksh4,873,708,800 to cater for the placement of 3,759 interns through a letter dated 1st February 2024. The National Treasury replied through a letter dated 13th February 2024 indicating that they were not in a position to provide the requested funds and advised the Ministry to rationalise the numbers of interns and review the internship policy with a view to accommodate more interns within the available budgetary provisions. Following the guidance from the National Treasury, the Ministry wrote to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for guidance on how to rationalise that. The SRC responded by providing stipend rates to be payable to the interns. With the rates from the SRC, the Ministry wrote to the National Treasury and secured Ksh2,317,200,000 to post 3,759 interns. It is on this rate that the interns I have indicated above have been posted. The second part of the Question asks the Ministry to provide timelines within which the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was signed in 2017 between the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the Government will be fully implemented. The CBA signed with KMPDU in 2017 continues to be implemented by the national Government. The national Government has so far undertaken the following to fulfill its obligations under the CBA: 1. Facilitated the payment of basic salary arrears accrued by national Government entities arising from the 2017-2021 CBA. I would like to confirm that the national Government has paid in excess and some doctors owe the national Government some money. 2. Provided grants and scholarships for eligible post-graduate medical officers based on an immediate service-need basis. 3. Provided comprehensive medical insurance to doctors at the national Government level. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1412713,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412713/?format=api",
"text_counter": 139,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Susan Nakhumicha",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health",
"speaker": null,
"content": "4. In the Financial Year 2023/2024, the Ministry posted 4,156 medical interns in July 2023 at a cost of Ksh4.3 billion. Those interns are due to complete their internship in June 2024. 5. Secured Ksh2.3 billion to post 3,759 medical interns according to the SRC advisory rates. However, there are challenges in implementing some of the provisions, including the area of internship. Those challenges will be addressed in the new cycle of negotiations on the CBA, which is ongoing. It is also important to note that a good number of those aspects of the CBA need to be implemented by county governments. The third Question asks us to outline the steps being taken to resolve the recent dispute and end the strike to ensure un-interrupted healthcare delivery. The Ministry is taking various steps and measures to resolve the ongoing strike. The measures being taken have been categorised into immediate and short-term, medium-term and long-term as detailed below: In the short-term and immediate: 1. The Ministry has posted all interns with effect from 2nd April 2024 based on revised rates by the SRC. All the interns ought to have reported to their internship centres by 15th April 2024. The Ministry is in the process of collecting returns from the respective internship centres. We shall be able to report on how many interns have reported in a few days. However, we can confirm in the affirmative that clinical officers (diploma interns) have reported and we have returns at the Ministry. 2. The Ministry has requested Ksh267 million for payment of post-graduate registrars' fees arrears. I can confirm that the Ministry has received a confirmation from the National Treasury this week of Ksh200 million that will be given to the Ministry to pay those arrears. 3. The Ministry has also requested the SRC to advise on the demand by the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) to have their risk allowance increased from Ksh3,000 to Ksh15,000. This is a 500 per cent increase. The Ministry awaits guidance from the SRC. We shall incorporate the guidance we receive into the budget so that we effect it once it is approved. 4. The Ministry has requested the Public Service Commission (PSC) to review the clinical officers’ Career Progression Guidelines. 5. The medical laboratory officers who have joined the doctors' strike do not have a recognition agreement with the Government. The Ministry has written to them citing the criteria required for them to be recognised as a union. We wait for them to return having met the criteria, and then we start the process of recognition. Those are the immediate and short-term measures. Under the medium-term measures: 1. The Ministry of Health is reviewing the internship policy to address aspects of the programme, including the need for students to transit to internship without any delays. The internship policy will be finalised within April 2024. I am happy to report that the Ministry undertook internal stakeholder validation yesterday and it went very well. We shall be proceeding to external stakeholder validation next week to receive their comments. 2. The Ministry is going on with the CBA negotiations. The 2017 CBA lapsed in 2021. Therefore, we are in the process of negotiating a new CBA to be signed. 3. The Ministry is also actively participating in the Whole-of-the-Nation- Approach discussions that were ordered by a Judge of the Employment and Labour Relations Court. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1412714,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412714/?format=api",
"text_counter": 140,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Susan Nakhumicha",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Under the long-term measures: 1. The Ministry is in the process of developing a comprehensive Human Resources for Health (HRH) Policy to address all aspects of human resources (HR) in the country in the entire spectrum of the value chain from production, supply, internship, regulation of employment, retention of health workers, distribution, stock density, skills and mix, including motivation and productivity of the HRH. 2. Full operationalisation of the Kenya Health Human Resources Advisory Council (KHHRAC) to enable it to execute its mandate. This entails providing the necessary budget for the finalisation of the HR instruments in order to obtain the necessary skills and capacities to execute its mandate. Other measures that are being undertaken by the Ministry are: 1. The Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection appointed three conciliators to guide parties to arrive at solutions to the dispute. The process is ongoing. 2. The court also appointed the Whole-of-the-Nation-Approach led by the Head of Public Service to bring together both levels of government and entities to the dispute to seek solutions to perennial issues in the health sector. The process is ongoing. Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members, I hereby submit."
},
{
"id": 1412715,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412715/?format=api",
"text_counter": 141,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Member for Westlands."
},
{
"id": 1412716,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412716/?format=api",
"text_counter": 142,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Westlands, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Timothy Wanyonyi",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Thank you,"
},
{
"id": 1412717,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412717/?format=api",
"text_counter": 143,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Waziri,"
},
{
"id": 1412718,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412718/?format=api",
"text_counter": 144,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Westlands, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Timothy Wanyonyi",
"speaker": null,
"content": "for that elaborate answer to my Question. However, I would like to seek clarification on a few issues. Considering the importance of maintaining a stable healthcare system, what strategies are being implemented to prevent similar delays and disputes in the future, particularly regarding the implementation of agreements and timely placement of medical professionals? The second clarification is on the strategies that are in place to regulate the number of graduates from medical schools in the country, and coordination efforts that will ensure the Ministry of Health is aware of the expected number of interns before every budgeting cycle for adequate planning."
},
{
"id": 1412719,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412719/?format=api",
"text_counter": 145,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Cabinet Secretary, you will take several supplementary questions. Having heard from the Questioner, I will allow a couple of joyriders starting with the Member for Seme."
},
{
"id": 1412720,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1412720/?format=api",
"text_counter": 146,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I would have liked to be more than a joyrider. As we know, I have been trying to do that all week. However, I will take what is available. We were told that the interns have been posted, but we know that not all of them have reported. That brings to me to the issue that I would like clarification on from the Cabinet Secretary. When we use the word “intern”, whom are we talking about? There are various cadres within the Ministry undertaking different internship programmes. The term \"internship\" is also generally used in the country in various industries. Do we have a clear clarification of who they are? I ask this question because some interns are now employed. There are also those who will get stipends. The difference between somebody who earns a salary and one who is given a stipend is that the person being given a stipend is not employed, but he is being given some support. By definition, an intern is a doctor who is starting work. He or she has graduated and taken the Hippocratic Oath. He has also been given an interim license. When they are on duty in hospitals, they are added to the structure among the doctors. The structure has the first on- call who is always the intern. There is also the second on-call and third on-call. At all those The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
}
]
}