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{
    "id": 2963,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/2963/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 217,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kambi",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Medical Services",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 39,
        "legal_name": "Samuel Kazungu Kambi",
        "slug": "samuel-kambi"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to give a Ministerial Statement on the doctors’ strike. On the morning of 5th December, 2011, doctors did make their threat to go on strike a reality. As a Government, I would like, first of all, to thank all the consultants and other health professionals, including lecturers of University of Nairobi and Moi University who have ensured that the lives of Kenyans are not lost. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we thank doctors for putting patients first, before anything else, in accordance with Hippocratic Oath that they took. That is a true demonstration of patriotism and professionalism for fellow Kenyans during this trying time that our nation is going through. So far, as a Government, we have reviewed several allowances and introduced other such allowances such as extraneous allowances, among others. Each doctor will earn up to Kshs50,000 per month in allowance only. This figure translates to about Kshs1.35 billion per year. We appreciate the work of our doctors and the health sector. Hence, the Government has agreed to review various allowances based on Government remuneration policy and not pegging it on basic salaries as demanded by the doctors. Salaries cannot be reviewed by any institution except by the Salaries Remuneration Commission. This is in accordance with the Constitution. It is only through this Commission that all salaries in the public sector will be reviewed, harmonized and create equity for all professionals. The Government cannot, therefore, breach the Constitution of the Kenyan people. We ask all the doctors to rescind their decision because very many people will suffer. I want to refute the statement given by the media that one person in Mombasa died as a result of the doctors’ strike. That person died earlier, even before the strike started. He died on Sunday. I will table the letter from the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance committing the Government to pay the doctors Kshs1.3 billion."
}