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{
    "id": 1401104,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1401104/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 265,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Nakhumicha",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Health",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 520,
        "legal_name": "Reginalda Nakhumicha Wanyonyi",
        "slug": "reginalda-nakhumicha-wanyonyi"
    },
    "content": "cadre of interns are ready, that is, the nursing officers with degrees and clinical officers with degrees. As I speak, a number have started picking them. The Ministry has also requested for Kshs267 million for payment of postgraduate registrar fee arrears, which was an issue raised by the Kenya Medical Practioners Pharmacists Dentist Union (KMPDU). It falls under the purview of the national Government. I want to confirm that the Ministry has received confirmation by the National Treasury to release Kshs200 million towards payment of postgraduate registrar fee arrears. The Ministry has also requested the SRC to advise on the demand by the clinical officers’ union to have their risk allowance increased. We understand that this is going to have an impact on the overall budget. That is why we have requested the SRC to give guidelines. Once the SRC gives guidelines, then the Ministry will be in a position to implement. The Ministry has also requested the Public Service Commission (PSC) to review the clinical officers’ career progression guidelines, so that this can be communicated to them. Concerning medical laboratory officers, the Ministry has already written to the Association of Kenya Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers (AKMLSO), informing them of the criteria required for them to be recognized as a union. Once the medical laboratory officers have met the requirements of a union, the Ministry will work towards the recognition agreement that they are pursuing. Regarding the midterm measures, the Ministry of Health is reviewing the internship policy to address aspects of the programme, including the need to transit to internship without any delay. What is happening is that some interns have been out for more than a year. That delays them from getting the license that they need to practice. Consequently, the Ministry is working on a policy. Yesterday, we finalised internal stakeholders’ validation. Next week we shall finalise external stakeholder validation. We will invite the Senate because that is something we think we can benefit from the wisdom of the Members during the external stakeholder validation. The Ministry is also ready to negotiate on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This is because the other CBA with the KMPDU lapsed in 2021. According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, once a CBA has lapsed, a new one comes to effect upon being signed. On long-term measures, the Ministry is in the process of developing a human resource for health policy to address all aspects of human resource for health in the country, the entire spectrum of the value chain from production, supply, internship, regulation, employment, retention and distribution of stock density, skill mix and motivation, productivity and general management. The Ministry is also in the process of fully operationalizing the Kenya Health Human Resource Advisory Council (KHHRAC) to enable it execute its mandate. This entails providing the necessary budget and finalization of HR instruments in order to obtain the necessary skills and capacities to execute its mandate. Another measure is that conciliation meetings are ongoing as well as the whole of nation approach ordered by the court. The court case is actually up for mention today and The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}