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{
    "id": 1419014,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1419014/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 66,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13577,
        "legal_name": "Kiplagat Jackson Mandago",
        "slug": "kiplagat-jackson-mandago"
    },
    "content": "2. Confirmation of UHC workers, UHC interns, Covid Health Emergency Response Programme (CHERP) staff and the National TB and Lung Diseases Programme (NTLD-P) employees into permanent and pensionable positions, ensuring job security and benefits. 3. Employment on exploitative terms, particularly by hospital boards; 4. Lack of promotions and re-designations; 5. Exclusion of medical laboratory officers from key decision-making processes; 6. Provision of a comprehensive medical insurance cover; and, 7. Employment of sufficient medical laboratory officers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Government’s position on the matter is that - The National Treasury has released up to Kshs2.5 billion for the placement of interns, however, on different terms of engagement from the 2017 CBA agreement. The implication of this is that newly placed medical officer interns will only receive what the Government refers to as a stipend of Kshs70,000 per month, and not Kshs206,000 as has been the case with the other already placed interns. The Government has argued that the current terms are discriminatory as similar interns across public and private sectors receive amounts lower than Kshs70,000. (b) Medical doctor interns are not doctors and hence cannot be paid a salary, but they are entitled to a stipend. (c) The 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was not adequately negotiated and did not involve the input of the National Treasury for purposes of sustainability in funding. (d) The 2017 CBA is expensive, considering the ballooning wage bill, which is currently unsustainable. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Council of Governors (CoG) has likewise raised several concerns, including- (a) That senior medical officers are paid double the amount paid to non-health workers in the public service; (b) That the industrial unrest has paralyzed healthcare services in the counties with conciliation meetings between the two levels of government and the unions yet to bear fruits; and, (c) That the strikes are unprotected following court orders for health workers to go back to work. Regarding implementation of the CBA, counties have raised concerns that it will have a ripple effect on the basic pay of all civil servants and will necessitate additional allocation of resources to all counties. Presently, there are 890 doctors, pharmacists and dentists that have been released by counties for postgraduate training. Counties are compelled to pay their salaries during the training period, thus depriving them of much needed resources to recruit additional staff. Mr. Speaker, Sir, having considered all the issues as indicated above, and taking note of the impact that the strike had on the lives and health of vulnerable Kenyans, on Tuesday, 23rd April, 2024, the Standing Committee on Health visited Kiambu County Referral Hospital to assess the impact of the strike on health service delivery."
}