Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe was put on the spot by governors after his counterpart Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani failed to show up to a critical health meeting held on Monday, November 23.
The governors posed various questions to CS Kagwe to address the crisis in the health industry particularly the welfare of the health workers.
They pondered at the dire state of the health sector which currently faces two impending strikes from the nurses and doctors respectively.
Another urgent issue to be addressed in the meeting was the lack of funds within the devolved units.
Both the health officials and governors were seeking to know from the treasury when the government would release the funds to cater for the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as well as compensation packages for health frontline workers.
In his defense, Kagwe alluded that each county had the mandate to deal with its health workers' grievances. This in turn led the meeting to end without any issues resolved.
“The meeting was not conclusive, the issues discussed were not firmed up. They will be concluded at a later date and a statement issued,” a Health Ministry official spoke to a local media house.
The Council of Governors Chairman Wycliff Oparanya also spoke at the end of the meeting noting the dire state of the health sector within the counties.
“You know we are on our own. The situation is very bad," Oparanya said.
The meeting was also meant to address the situation of the Cuban doctors as their contracts are slated to come to an end on December 16.
Oparanya spoke on the matter, affirming that the contracts of the Cuban doctors would be renewed based on their needs.
He noted that some Cuban doctors did not offer much help in the local communities.
