- The Head of Public Service Feix Koskei chaired a meeting with various stakeholders on Thursday night.
- Striking doctors are pushing for better working conditions after failing to agree with Ministry of Health officials.
Image: SPD
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has affirmed the Ministry is putting mechanisms in place that will see doctors on internships join the public service as Junior doctors.
Speaking in Nyamira on Friday, Kuria called on the striking doctors to resume duties, following the Labour and Employment court decision to stay the nationwide strike.
“The Ministry of Public Service has put in place measures to put the intern doctors into the public service scheme as junior doctors or foundation doctors,'' he said.
"There is no reason to go on strike because the Ministry of Public Service has accepted and has finalized the scheme of service to absorb what they are calling intern doctors because they are qualified."
The CS spoke hours after Head of Public Service Felix Koskei chaired a lengthy meeting with various stakeholders on Thursday night in a bid to hammer a return-to-work formula for the doctors.
Kuria was among the Cabinet Secretaries present in the meeting including his Health Counterpart Susan Nakhumicha and National Treasury boss Njuguna Ndung’u.
The meeting was also attended by the Council of Governors, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), Public Service Commission (PSC), The Kenya Federation of Employers; and Central Organisation of Trade Unions(COTU-K).
While calling on the doctors to embrace dialogue, Kuria said it was not right for them to stop providing emergency services at public hospitals, as they demand better wages.
“We had a meeting last night that went into 1 am and we told the doctors that we are ready for talks but we want doctors to embrace dialogue as well,’’ Kuria said.
The CS regretted that many patients have suffered while others have lost their lives due to the ongoing strike yet the same doctors will not be held to account for the mess.
“Once they resume work and end the strike, they will just walk to work as if nothing happened yet Kenyans are suffering,’’ Kuria said.
Under the scheme, intern doctors will be vetted to become junior doctors who will be earning stipends recently published by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Chair Lyn Mengich.
In Mengich’s letter, medical officer interns, pharmacists and dentists on internship will be earning a minimum of Sh47,000 monthly and a maximum of Sh70,000.
On the highly contended Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with doctors, the government has called for more sittings with the healthcare unions to reach a middle ground on its implementation
CS Kuria made the remarks on Friday morning at Kiobwoge Vocational Training Centre in Nyamira county, while on a tour of the National Youth Service and Vocational Training Centres Mashinani programme.
The CS was accompanied by his host, Governor Amos Nyaribo, West Mugirango MP, Stephen Mogaka, and County Commissioner Erastus Mbui, among other local leaders.
Kuria said the partnership between the county government and national government through the NYS will see the VTCs upgraded and equipped to offer courses up to the diploma level.
The rebranded NYS-VTC Mashinani will also benefit from NYS instructors.
The CS said the Ministry of Education will integrate and harmonize the curriculum of VTCs, NYS and TVETS.