Health Workers Threaten To Go On Strike Over Salary Delay
Health Unions have issued a seven day notice to counties demanding for payment of salaries and other statutory deductions revoked.
Speaking during the Unions’ meeting on Tuesday, Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr. Davji Atella claim that health workers in more than 40 counties are yet to receive their payment.
“More than 40 counties are yet to either pay healthcare workers or remit statutory deductions making our members miss out on the very services they are offering,” Attellah said.
The unions which include KMPD, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers, and the Kenya National Union of Nurses among others have appealed to the counties to consider their plea citing that failure to adhere will see health workers in those respective counties boycott work.
Atellah has also revealed that since health was devolved 10 years ago, there has been no proper mechanism put in place to ensure efficient performance in the healthcare system.
“Kenyans have witnessed numerous blame games between the national and county governments concerning finances, drug and equipment acquisition and employment of healthcare workers,” he said.
This comes amid recent crisis faced by the government in failing to pay salaries to public servants.
Last month Treasury PS Chris Kiptoo disclosed to the Senate’s County Investment and Special Funds Committee that several government programs including disbursement to the devolved unit would face a crisis since taxman had failed to attain the target.
However, President William Ruto on Tuesday, April 11, has addressed the ongoing delay of civil servants salaries during the launch of Performance Contracting Report at KICC assuring Kenyans that he is working on a solution to reduce debt burden.
“I assure Kenyans on the commitment I made that we are not going to borrow money and spend on recurrent expenditures, especially salaries. I know we have an issue of delayed salaries, and it is the first time we are having this crisis. But it is also our first time having such monumental debts,” Ruto stated.
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