The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has announced that they will commence a nationwide strike starting tomorrow, Monday, April 1.
This decision was made due to what they describe as prolonged neglect by the government in addressing crucial issues affecting them.
In a statement released on Sunday, KUCO highlighted that this neglect directly hampers the provision of quality healthcare services and undermines the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Among the demands put forward by KUCO is the issuance of confirmation letters for permanent and pensionable positions for their staff members. They also seek resolution to what they term as ‘systemic flagrant’ by the Public Service Commission (PSC), asserting that human resource manuals from both the Ministry of Health (MOH) and county governments have not been reviewed since devolution began, hindering staff promotion.
“We call for the expeditious approval of Career Progression Guidelines for clinical officers,” stated KUCO.
Furthermore, they demand the immediate recruitment of over 20,000 qualified officers to address existing staff shortages.
“It is our position that the Ministry of Health adheres to the 2020 approved Salaries and Remuneration establishment guidelines by the PSC, disregarding disruptive advisories from the Commission (SRC) that threaten sector stability,” added the statement.
