This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
December 11, 2019, marked a significant moment in Kenya's healthcare sector as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) task-force report highlighted the frustration faced by Kenyans in accessing healthcare services.
The report pointed out the non-implementation of the constitutional guarantee of health, the absence of a patients' bill of rights, and the provision of emergency services across facilities in the country.
Healthcare in Kenya has been marred by frequent industrial unrest, attributed to the mismanagement of health human resources, lack of medical supplies, and inadequate financing of the sector.
Health workers have been victims of ethnic antagonism, nepotism in recruitment, political interference, and constant salary delays, among other issues.
As a result, hospitals across the country are grappling with severe shortages of health workers, and county governments are unable to hire more staff due to budget ceilings.
A Health Services Commission is proposed to address these challenges by recruiting health professionals, deploying personnel across the country, maintaining an inventory of public health facilities, and providing capacity building and in-service training for health personnel.
The commission will also be responsible for establishing strong hospital boards, setting up a complaints tribunal, and negotiating collective agreements with sector unions to provide a harmonious labour environment.
According to Dr. Chibanzi Mwachonda, deputy secretary general of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), a centralized and standard management of human resources for health is necessary to address the turmoil in the sector.
