Governor Hassan Joho (2nd left) with doctors inside one of the operation theaters at the Coast Provincial General Hospital. [Photo/ parastatalafrica.com]
Mombasa is among the counties which have received the largest share of the doctors and nurses’ allowances fund disbursed by the Health Ministry.According to the ministry’s dispatch detailing the funds’ allocation per county, Mombasa received Sh111,828,000 compared to Kilifi which received the second highest allocation at Sh88,734,000 and Kwale’s Sh52,164,000. Taita Taveta received Sh42,906,000 while Tana River and Lamu were allocated the least amounts at Sh18,474,000 and Sh16,716,000 respectively.The ministry said the money will be spent in paying doctors and nurses’ allowances following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive that doctors and nurses who participated in the recent 90-day health sector strike be paid for the period they were on strike.The money will cover allowance expenses for the period January 1 and 30 June 2017 as agreed in the return to work agreement signed by the government and the health practitioners union.There has been a tag of war between the national and county governments on one hand and medics on the other hand over whether the doctors should be paid for the period they were not at work as the strike went on.Although the doctors argued they rightfully deserved to be paid, government insisted the agreement reached after calling off the strike did not state that the medics be paid.But it seemed President Uhuru had to play to the doctors’ tune since it is an electioneering period.He announced during his tour of Kiambu County in March that county governments pay the allowances to the medical practitioners.County governments, however, said they would only disburse the money into the doctors’ bank accounts if the national Treasury released money for the same.The money will cover payment for additional emergency call allowances, new risk allowances, as well as nursing service allowances for nurses between job group G and L and those above job group M.