Leaders in West Pokot County have called for a policy shift in the health sector to avert looming strikes that paralyze health services in the country.
Led by West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin and Kapenguria Member of Parliament Samuel Moroto, the leaders called on the government to regulate, issue policies and guidelines so that unions cannot be nationalized to improve health care in the country.
The leaders cited that the government should come up with a policy guideline that will help control unions under health sector since the docket has been devolved to counties.
“We want a clear policy on industrial actions in the health sector because we cannot play with the lives of people,” said Governor Kachapin.
The Governor blamed the health workers officials under unions at the national level for controlling health workers affairs.
Governor Kachapin said that County governments have no role over control of nurses and doctors.
He noted that the Governors have no role to play in negotiating health workers’ salaries because the officials who coordinate the unions are at the national level.
He cautioned unions for blanket condemnation of Counties citing that they should not be generalized for the mess in the country.
He defended the County governments’ running of the health sector saying much has been done during devolution.
“Counties have tried to improve the health sector in the past four years but some stakeholders have no goodwill for counties to manage the sector,” said Kachapin.
Kapenguria Member of Parliament Mr. Samuel Moroto asked striking nurses to end the strike and resume their duties.
The leaders called on the government to employ more teachers in Counties that were marginalized.
Mr. Moroto called on the Teachers Service Commission to do an affirmative action on employment of teachers in remote areas.
“We have a deficit of over 3000 teachers in both primary and secondary schools in this County. We want CS Matiangi to urgently employ more teachers,” said Moroto.
The leaders were speaking at Tamugh area after donating a school bus donated by Kapenguria CDF and opening of a school dormitory at Tamugh secondary school built by the County government.
