Clinical officers threaten strike after being locked out of SHA

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has hit out at the Social Health Authority (SHA) for locking out facilities accredited by the Clinical Officers Council from offering healthcare services under the new scheme.

The union accuses the Ministry of Health of sidelining them in the rollout despite those facilities being previously accredited by the now defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Clinical officers claim that they provide 70% of all clinical services in Kenya and have threatened to have members hold demonstrations in two weeks if the government fails to empanel and publish all healthcare facilities registered by the Clinical Officers Council, as required by law.

"This unlawful exclusion has resulted in over 1000 facilities owned by clinical officers, 834 of which were previously registered under NHIF, being denied entry into SHIF. This clear conflict of interest is a deliberate move to arm-twist clinical officers to register under KMPDC," said KUCO Secretary General George Gibore.

The union also criticized the Ministry of Health for failing to honour the return-to-work formula that assured clinical officer interns of monthly stipends and medical cover.

KUCO officials said interns are yet to receive a stipend six months after they walked out from their duty stations on September 26, 2024.

"Since their placement in April, they have not received their stipends or medical covers. Many of them sleep in hospital wards and eat patients’ food to survive. Over 3,000 clinical officer interns are in limbo, awaiting posting amidst this mess," Gibore added.

The clinical officers demanded inclusion in the panel of service providers and immediate disbursement of dues owed to interns, failure to which they will take to the streets to compel the Ministry of Health to heed their demands.

"SHA must immediately empanel and publish the list of deserving clinical officers submitted by the council, and must also empanel and publish all clinical officer-owned facilities registered under the Clinical Officers Council," Gibore noted.