The national government has been blamed for the wave of strikes that have hit different counties across the country with some experts arguing that of all the sectors, it was not practical to devolve health.
Speaking in Naivasha on Saturday during a consultative retreat by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) organising secretary Francis Atwoli challenged the government to take up the health mantle so as to restore sanity.
According to Atwoli, some governors had demonstrated their ineffectiveness in handling health issues, something he says was affecting many people.
“Some governors have proved to us that they could not handle the health docket with the on-going strikes giving enough evidence. All we are saying is that our counties have failed us, it is only the national government that can successfully handle this docket,” he said.
The Cotu boss noted that there were things to be devolved but not health, arguing that it was like joking with peoples’ lives.
NHIF director Simon Kigotty raised a red flag on institutions offering NHIF services, saying that it had come to their attention that some facilities were offering substandard services to their clients.
“Some hospitals are offering below per services to our clients as compared to the huge amounts of money we remit to them, let them be warned, we are coming for them,” he cautioned.
Kigotty accused the facilities of misusing public funds by not being professional on their line of duty something he said was making Kenyans question the credibility of the fund.
“We play our part by giving them (hospitals) the required funds, they ought to stick to the agreement and remit up to date services. Anything below this is totally against the law,” Kigotty added.
Nakuru was among the counties that saw operations paralysed in all public hospitals when nurses downed their tools in protest of low pay, lack of promotions and poor working conditions.