Parliament buildings, Nairobi [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Health care workers have urged the National Assembly to reject the proposed Health Laws Amendment Bill 2021, terming it discriminatory and exploitative.

They said it was hurriedly crafted without their involvement.

In a statement, the unions representing doctors, nurses, clinical officers, medical laboratory and pharmaceutical technologists said the Bill was passed “in total disregard of health stakeholders input.” 

The officials led by Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union Secretary-General Davji Atellah (below) said the government had been sidelining health professions in decision making.

National Assembly

The Health Laws Amendment Bill was received in the National Assembly on February 23.

The medics say that since then, they have held several consultative meetings with Ministry of Health officials and Parliament to have their views known.

They contend that “the principal of self-regulation has been disregarded in favour of state capture of the health sector for private and political gain.”

The Bill, they added, gives vague guidelines of organisations and qualifications of the people that the Cabinet Secretary for Health can second to various boards under the ministry. 

“We cannot have any good change in healthcare when the government doesn’t want to work with health workers,” said the union officials. 

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