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NAIROBI: It is now official that health workers will remain devolved. The national government will, however, continue to oversee their welfare including training and career progression.
For almost two years, health workers have been agitating to have the management of human resources in the sector brought back to the central government, claiming devolution had been done without any policy guidelines. Now the Government has published the Kenya Health Policy 2014–2030 that will provide guidance to the sector over the next two and a half decades.
Among the issues leading to recent strikes by health workers were demands for guarantees on career progression, training and assurances that when workers went for training, their jobs were secure when they returned.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Union leaders have argued that if career development is left to county governments, their members might suffer discrimination and training standards may not be guaranteed.
To avoid this, the policy document, signed by Cabinet Secretary for Health James Macharia, brings in the national government and several other national and regional commissions.
“Both governments in consultation with the Ministry for Devolution and Planning, the Public Service Commission and county public service boards shall put in place the necessary policies to guide the training programmes for professional development and progression of staff,” the policy document reads in part.
Both national and county governments, Mr Macharia says, will facilitate the training of health workers by providing scholarships and ensuring that salaries and remuneration of officers in training continue to be paid by their respective stations during the training period.
The two governments will also ensure those in training are placed in attachment and internship while guaranteeing that specialists are equitably distributed where and when needed.
While in some cases the document says more legislation may be required to achieve the necessary harmony, it is categorical that post-graduate training and internship programmes will remain national functions.
SERVICE SCHEMES
Disgruntled health workers and union leaders may be happy to hear that the national government, in consultation with county governments, will implement schemes of service for all health workers.
The ambitious document, which proposes to push the life expectancy of Kenyans to 72 years by 2030 from the current 63 years, also promises to cut annual deaths by half.
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