Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has announced a pay rise for health workers who are in the frontline in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement on Wednesday, April 8, the county boss disclosed that different classes of medical personality would enjoy a monthly salary increase of between Ksh5,000 and Ksh20,000.
The salary increase is expected to supplement the health worker's income for a period of three months.
"In recognition of the sacrifice our Machakos County health workers are making at this time of great stress and extra duties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Machakos Government has decided to pay them an extra allowance of Ksh20,000, Ksh10,000 and Ksh5,000 per month based on their duties.
"Those to receive the Ksh20,000 are the health professionals who are in the Machakos Covid-19 Surveillance Team doing door-to-door monitoring of quarantined patients. Non-professional surveillance team members to get Ksh10,000 per month," stated Mutua.
Other professional health workers, including doctors, nurses, clinical officers, also received a bump of Ksh10,000 owing to their interactions with patients some of whom might be Covid-19 positive.
The supportive health worker cadres received a Ksh5,000 pay rise.
"These allowances will start from April 1st, 2020 for an initial period of three months.
"In addition to the allowances, we are ensuring that we are providing adequate masks to all health workers. This is in addition to sanitisers and temperature guns that have been availed in health facilities. Protective gear is available to frontline health workers handling Covid-19 patients," he added.
"We have made this decision based on the doctrine of necessity, public interest and the fact that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures," he continued.
In the statement, the county boss also noted that Machakos had stepped up its preparedness in dealing with the pandemic by increasing bed capacity.
"Machakos already has 122 isolation beds spread over 9 sub-counties and we are procuring more items to ensure we are ready to keep our people alive.
"The health workers who will be working in isolation wards will also receive additional allowances equivalent to that of the surveillance teams," he pointed out.
Medical workers across the country under the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) have been complaining of the lack of adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.
In March, a medical practitioner at a health centre in Ngara, Nairobi tested positive alongside her husband. The Kenya Clinical Officers Association announced that the officer contracted the Covid-19 virus while in the line of duty.
