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Doctors call for speedy release of funds to counties

Say with the high cost of living healthcare workers will have no choice but to stay at home

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by Magdalene Saya

News16 March 2023 - 10:22
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In Summary


  • The union secretary general Dr Davji Attellah said more than 35 counties have not paid their healthcare workers.
  • Atellah termed it as an injustice to expect healthcare workers to be in the hospitals while they have not been paid.
KMPDU secretary general Dr Davji Attellah during the media briefing in Nairobi

Doctors now want the National Treasury to act with speed and release funds to counties.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union on Thursday said the cash crunch facing counties due to the delayed release of funds has made healthcare workers go without their pay.

The union secretary general Dr Davji Attellah said more than 35 counties have not paid their healthcare workers.

Atellah termed it as an injustice to expect healthcare workers to be in the hospitals while they have not been paid.

"It is an injustice to expect them to be in the facilities to take care of the patients when they can't pay their bills," he said.

"We are calling upon Treasury to find a mechanism to release funds," Atellah said.

He said with the high cost of living healthcare workers will have no choice but to stay at home.

Atellah said healthcare workers have been receiving notifications indicating that they should expect a delay in their salaries for February.

This, he said, is causing a lot of despair and frustration among the doctors, nurses, clinical officers and all the health workers within the counties.

He said whatever is going on between the two levels of government leading to the delay in the disbursement of funds should be resolved.

The doctors want the Treasury to come up with a framework and mechanism to ensure all healthcare workers in the counties receive some dignity in terms of their salary payment.

"It is alarming that every month we have to depend on the agreements between the two levels of government. We need the salaries aspect to be sorted," Atellah said.

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