Nurses call for merger of health dockets

By Stephen Makabila

National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) wants the Medical Services and Public Health Ministries merged to better address persistent drug-shortage.

NNAK National Chairman Luke Simba Kodambo said high operational costs and confusion in discharge of duties were partly to blame for the mess in the health sector, and the solution was to merge the two ministries for efficiency.

Last year, Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya made demands for the two ministries to be merged.

Mr Oparanya had then argued that administrative overlaps in the two ministries were to blame for frequent drug shortages in public hospitals.

According to Kodambo, it is not easy for nurses, most of who work under the Public Health Ministry, to be served better by provincial and referral hospital, which fall under the Ministry of Medical Services.

"We fear the quality of care would be seriously compromised unless urgent measures are taken to save lives," he said.