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Doctors' talks resume as Mailu faults CBA demand

 The maternity ward at the Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital. Expectant mothers in the county have been forced to seek services in private hospitals outside the county because of the ongoing doctors' strike. [Photo: Peter Muthomi]

Doctors pay talks resume today, even as Health CS Cleopa Mailu explained that the only way their demands can be met is to exclude them from the civil service.

The CS said the doctors' demands contained in the contentious Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) are not in line with the terms of their civil service colleagues, hence the Salaries and Remuneration Commission cannot permit the implementation.

He said it would mean they cease to be civil servants and are awarded a different structure of salaries.

Yesterday, The Standard learnt that the ministry had convened the talks with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union today. It was, however, not clear who else would attend.

Dr Mailu further faulted the signing of the CBA, arguing that it was wrong for counties not to have been involved.

The CBA was signed by then Health Permanent Secretary Mark Bor in June 27, 2013 and was supposed to take effect on July 1 the same year.

"Health services were devolved in February, four months before the agreement was signed, and a gazette notice done to that effect. This shows there was a mistake that we now have to rectify," said Mailu.

Mailu said during the three-year transition period from central to devolved government, all issues pertaining to health should have been put under the counties.

The only mandate that the national government has on the current impasse is on some 300 doctors attached to the Ministry of Health, the National Spinal Cord Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral and Mathari Mental hospital.

"So no one should claim that doctors were seconded or not employed by the county government. Their salaries come from the counties, not the National Government," said Mailu.

The CS argued that from the CBA, there is nothing new doctors are demanding apart from an upgraded salary scale.

For example, what doctors were given as car and mortgage loans - a maximum of Sh5 million and Sh20 million respectively - is exactly what is in a circular by SRC dated December 17, 2014 that awarded all public servants the same. "The issue with doctors is that they do not want to be categorised as civil servants. And that is why we have asked for 60 days to discuss the matter," said Mailu.

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