Clinical Officers orders Public Service Commission to stop implementing new organizational structure leaving their epresentatives
They demand full stakeholders participation as envisaged in the constitution without leaving component of the clinical officers
Led by Chairperson and two Secretary Generals, the team gave the relevant institutions 14 days to address the concerns before pursuing other legal means
Kenya Union of Clinical Officers in conjunction with Kenya Clinical Officers Association have demanded Ministry of health to immediately halt execution of the approved structure and staff establishment to facilitate a comprehensive review
Addressing media on Wednesday 17th January, KUCO Secretary General George Gibore gave 14 days ultimatum for the Ministry of Health and Public Service Commission to address the concerns before the utilize all legal redress mechanisms within the law to find their justice
“Regrettably our scrutiny of the approved structures reveals a direct and concerning discrimination of clinical officers in regards to Directorate establishments and key positions within the specified state departments.
This deviation forms the constitutional imperative of inclusive stakeholder involvement in the formulation of managerial instruments raises serious constitutional concerns,”Gibore read joint press statement
He stated that the organizational structure was developed without public participation as provided for in the constitution because clinical officers were never involved in its development
The directorate of clinical services which is provided for in the approved schemes of services was omitted
“We demand the PSC to recall the organizational structure and establishment to allow for an ill-inclusion process. The PSC expedites the approval of career progression guidelines for clinical officers,” he added
On his part, Kenya Clinical Officers Association Chairperson Peterson Wachira disclosed that cartles in the ministry of health have never been whipped out and they form cocoons in every progressive leadership
“The name mafia house still remains at the Ministry of Health, there are people, very few of them, a click of individuals who decide anything unilaterally, without public participation.
These individuals don’t work with Cabinet Secretary or Permanent Secretary and if the PS resist their unilateral decisions they end up eating them. They have found an execution club that decides and approves unpopular policies,” Wachira charged
He accused the cartels for sabotaging any supportive and good governance by making retrogressive guidelines and policies
According to the document availed for scrutiny, the approved organizational structure and staff establishment for the state departments for public health and professional standards and state departments for medical services as communicated by public service commission is discriminative
They demanded both state departments in the ministry of health to immediately initiate stakeholders participation, stating that failure to address the existing disparities will result in the direct exclusive of clinical officers from decision making process, hindering career progression and posing a potential crisis in implementation of Universal Health Coverage at all levels
Mr Wachira stated that clinical officers have suffered for 6 years since the public service commission stopped approval of schemes of service.
“Our efforts to have the preferred career progression guidelines approved have also proven tortous and frustrating.
We emphasise the urgency of rectifying these disparities to prevent the eminent discrimination and disharmony in service delivery. Moreover, we foresee potential repercussions on service delivery given the displacement of clinical officers from key positions, further impeding the realization of UHC,” he stated
He added that the significance of ministerial organograms in shaping Human Resource for Health, particularly within the ministry of Health, clinical officers underlines the pivotal role that such structures play in service delivery and the realization of national health objectives
“It’s imperative to emphasise that organizational structure serve to rationalize interrelationships among various cadres, departments and functions at diverse hierarchical levels within the Ministry.
The approved structures and guidelines aim to standardize procedures governing the administration and coordination of Human Resource Development activities within the Ministry of Health, supporting both National and County Governments levels,” the statement read