Friday, October 18, 2024 – Doctors across the country can finally breathe a
sigh of relief after President William Ruto’s government agreed to disburse
salary arrears of all doctors who were yet to receive their pay, in addition to
extending their medical coverage to November 21.
According to the Kenya Medical
Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Davji
Atellah, the union had received confirmation from the Ministry of Treasury and
Council of Governors that salary areas for doctors had already been disbursed.
He noted that the union would
conduct a follow-up to ensure the funds were reflected in doctors’ payslips.
The KMPDU Secretary-General also
announced that the government would soon begin the process of employing several
doctors who are on an internship programme to permanent and pensionable terms.
He noted that the process would
commence once the court rules on the matter by October 18 this year.
He further announced that
promotions for doctors had already been approved in many counties as per the
Return to Work Formula (RTWF) agreed in August this year. According to Atellah,
the union had completed the process of gathering data from counties to ensure
that doctors received promotions and redesignations.
Atellah also noted that the
union was closely working with the government to ensure that all doctors facing
challenges with their post-graduate fees were sorted.
He revealed that KMPDU had commenced
the process of collecting documentation from affected health workers to
reinitiate the sponsorship process and ensure everyone was included in the
programme.
The move came a week after the
healthcare workers threatened to stage nationwide demonstrations if the
government failed to tackle critical systemic issues caused by the rollout of
the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The Kenyan DAILY POST