Kenya government commits to developing strong human resources for health

KENYA—The Kenyan government has demonstrated its commitment to developing strong Human Resources for Health (HRH), a critical pillar of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Mary Muthoni, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, made this announcement during a visit to the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Embu Campus on Friday.

Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) is a state corporation formed by an Act of Parliament under the Ministry of Health with the mission of training various disciplines in the health sector for local, regional, and international markets.

The college has 72 campuses strategically positioned throughout Kenya, and its graduates make up more than 85% of Kenya’s local middle-level workforce in health facilities.

The PS’s visit was intended to assess existing human resources and infrastructure to identify areas that require attention.

The PS’s visit is part of an ongoing fact-finding expedition to review the training and identify any shortcomings in the health ministry’s operations.

This comes at a time when healthcare workers’ strikes are on the rise, owing to variations in remuneration amongst devolved units for the same job description, as well as a lack of promotion among the healthcare staff.

In July 2023, healthcare workers in the Machakos hospital systems, which also serve the neighbouring regions, went on strike, hampering service delivery owing to a lack of promotions.

Over 400 medics have not been promoted in the last ten years, according to Machakos County deputy Francis Mwangangi.

Following consultation with Dr. Charles Okumu, the Lower Eastern Region Chairperson of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KPMDU), the country and the union agreed to call the strike and also stated that they were in the process of negotiating the elevation of another 600 health workers to avoid future strikes.

Governor Wavinya, on her part, stated that the promotions were long delayed and that there will be no prejudice in the process going forward because the matter affects the medics and its settlement will drive the medical practitioners to work and serve properly.

In an effort to bridge the gap, the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Health Human Resource Advisory Council (KHHRAC) held discussions with stakeholders ahead of the Mashujaa Day celebrations in October 2023.

The engagements focused on finding innovations and best practices for boosting health workforce development and management in Kenya, including employment and remuneration, mobility, performance management, incentivization, public-private collaboration, and trade union relations.

According to KHHRAC Chairperson Francis Wafula, successful health service delivery necessitates excellent coordination across money, people, supplies, and information.

He argues that what has been lacking is a ‘backstop’ organization for health workforce policy coordination at the county and national levels, entrusted with synthesizing the intricate network of health workforce-related policies.

According to Wafula, the health sector stakeholders should build a roadmap with specific dates to help ecosystem actors coordinate efforts to increase the function of human resources for health and its contribution to UHC through dialogue.

Having these workshops will review Kenya’s existing health workforce position and difficulties, as well as explore innovations and best practices for boosting human resource development and management in the country.

According to him, the workshop will culminate in the creation of a roadmap to lead ecosystem actors in their efforts to increase the function of human resources for health and contribute to the accomplishment of universal health coverage.

During a recent PS visit to the KMTC Embu Campus, the PS echoed Mr Wafula’s sentiments, stating that the government’s ultimate goal is to ensure that the country has a well-trained and adequately equipped HRH workforce capable of not only catering to local needs but also competing on the global stage.

To achieve this aim, the government is aggressively trying to broaden the variety of crucial courses offered in medical colleges, such as KMTC.

The government is coordinating this effort with its broader digitalization plan, with the goal of revolutionizing the learning experience on all campuses.

This forward-thinking approach aims to not only improve educational quality but also better prepare HRH professionals to address the increasing healthcare demands of the twenty-first century.