Counties reject ministry move to hire doctors for mobile clinics

County governments have rejected a planned move by the Ministry of Health to hire medics to man the controversial Sh1 billion mobile clinics.

A meeting convened yesterday at Afya House ended in disarray after counties rejected the planned recruitment of medics to man the 100 containers on a two-year contract.

The county chiefs argued that the ministry had not stated clearly what will happen after the expiry of the two-year contract.

Again, the counties said, they were not consulted and the move was in violation of the consultation, which states that the two levels of government are mutually interdependent and shall conduct their mutual relations through consultation and corporation.

"We have noted through a statement from the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary that the Public Service Commission has granted permission to the ministry to hire health workers for the counties. Thus, the Council of Governors want to state that the commission has no mandate in granting the ministry authority to hire staff before consulting governors," the governors said in a statement. The statement signed by Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu who is the CoG vice chairman said counties cannot be forced to take up unplanned expenditures.

"The county governments cannot be forced to take up unplanned additional expenses when priority now lies in improving existing facilities and paying our health workers," Mr Mruttu said.