Bomet county government has yielded to the Kenya Medical Practitioner and Dentist Board (KMPDU) demands for doctors’ promotion, medical cover, training and employment of new officers.
Speaking after the meeting with the KMPDU, Bomet County Executive Committee member (CECM) in charge of the health sector Dr Joseph Sitonik said the county government had done a lot for doctors and medical officials and that few cases of promotions would be dealt with as per their agreement with the KMPDU officials led by the South Rift chairman Dr. Kelvin Cheruiyot.
“We are here to review issues in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that elapsed in which we managed to fulfil most issues except a few in the promotion of doctors in the same cadre which we have already discussed the way forward,” explained Dr Sitonik.
“We also know training is an essential part of doctors’ promotion and career development, we have asked for an increment in the budget allocation to have our staff booked for training at Kenya School of Government (KSG) because this is a basic requirement in public service. On the medical cover, we have sought service for enhanced cover by National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) which will be in place in three weeks’ time.”
Dr Cheruiyot on his part acknowledged the efforts and collaboration the County has put in place to ensure the state of affairs for their doctors is improved.
“We have reached agreements with the County government of Bomet on thematic issues affecting our doctors and most has been met with only a few cases of promotion remaining to be streamlined as per the agreement,” explained Dr Cheruiyot.
“We are going to note whatever we have agreed today in this meeting and sign them down, and assess the progress of what we have discussed with the Bomet County government in one month’s time”, said Dr. Cheruiyot.
He pointed out that most of the doctors had been promoted except for a few cases he said should be dealt with soonest.
The KMPDU south Rift chair lauded the county government for its commitment to solving the cases and working together with the doctors. He was optimistic that in one and a half months the county and the union would sign an MOU that would be binding like the bargaining agreement between the county and the union.
The chair pointed out that the previous CBA had lapsed and there was a need to sign a new one to help in motivating doctors at work.
By Lamech Willy
