Doctors CBA is not valid, says Nakhumicha

The striking medical doctors’ Collecting Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2017 has expired, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha claimed yesterday, opening a new battlefront with striking healthcare workers.

This even as Senators put the CS on the spot over what they termed as lack of efforts to end the doctors strike.

Nakhumicha further told the senators that the State and private agencies owe the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) about Sh30 billion.

The lawmakers asked whether the Ministry and the government were sensitive of the plight of the poor and desperate patients seeking services in public facilities.

However, Nakumicha explained that the CBA that the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) is pushing for, expired in 2021.

“The Ministry is also ready to negotiate on the new CBA because [the current] CBA under KMPDU lapsed in 2021,” said the CS.

Sticky issues

The doctors have been pushing for the payment of Sh206,000 per month for each of the 1,210 intern doctors – medical doctors, pharmacists and dentists.

But the government has rejected the demand and instead offered a Sh70,000 stipend, triggering protests by doctors across the country.

“The ministry is doing its level best to ensure the HR matters are handled permanently. One of the sticky issues is this internship issue. It stems from the reason that we now have very many interns,” Nakhumicha said.

She made the remarks when she appeared before the Senate plenary to respond to questions touching on the state of healthcare in the country since the doctors strike started more than one month ago.

According to Nakhumicha, the Collective Bargain Agreement that the doctors have been pushing for implementation had several aspects – matters that concern the national government, the county governments and others which are cross-cutting.

“I want to confirm that as per the six issues that pertain to national government, we have addressed them,” she said.

Desperate patients

The CS, however, said the only sticky issue is the stipend for intern doctors. She urged the interns to accept the offer and resume work as negotiations continue.

“Negotiations will be accelerated if we do not have people dying from this strike. They will be accelerated with doctors on the bedside of the patients,” Nakhumicha said.

She cited the large number of interns for the government’s refusal to pay the Sh206,000 being asked by the union.

“We have over 1,000 graduating from the universities every year. The internship centres have not increased. The specialists have not increased in tandem.”

Senators wondered whether the Ministry of Health and the government were sensitive to the plight of the poor and desperate patients seeking services in public facilities.

“The patients are not being attended to. They are not attending to patients and they are dying. Actually, the morgues are full now. Does the government realize that this is a matter of life and death?” posed Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana.

She added: “Should we continue to lose lives just for the government to have its own time to honour the CBA? It pains. It really hurts.”

Margaret Kamar (Nominated) sought assurance from the Health CS that the ongoing talks between union and the government would not collapse again.

“People have died. People are suffering. People have had to go for very expensive alternatives. Why would we be dilly-dallying with a matter as important as Health? Can the government assure us that the ongoing talks will not collapse again? It reached a point where the doctors union said that it was the government that was on strike and not them,” she said.

Linda Mama

However, Nakhumicha defended the government, saying it had taken measures to remedy the situation in county and national government hospitals.

The CS also denied that the government had walked out on talks with KPMDU, adding that the meeting was adjourned on the strength of a court order that outlawed the strike.

Senators also put Nakhumicha to task over the Linda Mama and the EduAfya programmes that the government has terminated.

She said the State had come up with a comprehensive social health programme that would cover families.

“In the Social Health Authority, reproductive health has been captured. In fact, it has been expanded and the benefits are expanded,” she said.

She further explained that some state agencies owe NHIF Sh22 billion with the private entities owing the insurer Sh8 billion.

The situation has led to delays in reimbursement of several health facilities, some of whom are turning away patients as a result.

However, the CS said the Treasury had agreed to release Sh5.5 billion and another Sh3 billion from the NHIF reserve to reimburse the health facilities.

Medics have been on strike over many issues, including remuneration and the failure to hire trainee doctors.