Counties cause of health crisis – KMPDU

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMDPU) on Thursday decried acute shortage of specialists in public hospitals.

The union has accused the county governments of denying medics study leave, which they say has caused frustration among them.

Addressing the press at a nakuru hotel, KMDPU National chairman, Dr. Samuel Oroko, said many patients have lost lives across the country under situations that could have been saved if there were enough specialists in the hospitals.

Dr. Oroko pointed out that Mombasa, Embu, Baringo, and Narok counties are among those that have denied doctors study leave to specialize.

“The specialists in public hospitals have been frustrated by their respective county governments, forcing a majority of them to seek jobs overseas and in private sector,” noted Dr. Oroko.

He called upon the Ministry of Health to establish a national body that will deal with human resource operations at the county level.

“The county governments should not worry over the formation of a national body to oversee the health sector human resource management as they will be represented.”

He also urged the county governments to promote, pay and review salaries of health workers claiming that  their conditions are deteriorating.

Written by Treeza Awuor