Today's Headlines
- Grand Coalition Government - There's Reason For Hope
- Jinja Craft Traders Evict Kenyans
- It's Time to Act On KFF
- Economic Plans for Rural Areas
- Flickers of Hope Amid Filth And Wasted Lives
- Law Report - Election Petition Struck Out Over Lack of Personal Service
- Now KRA Relaxes Rule On Vehicle Imports
- Rallying - Champion Tundo Wins Kcb Rally in Embu
- The Cutting Edge
- Coalition Here to Stay, Says Saitoti
- Kibaki to Lead Sh29 Billion Funds Drive for Refugees
- Prisons Crowded Following Mt Elgon Militia Clampdown
- Time for Top Leaders to Find New Wine Skins
- Region's MPs to Approve Budget
- Talk to Militia, Muite Tells Raila
- 65,000 Refugees Return Home
- Sort Out Problems in Higher Education
- MPs Accused of Derailing Plans to Move Victims
- ODM Eyes All Five Seats in By-Election
- Killing Raises Doubts Over Elgon Operation
- Make These Parties Worthwhile
- Hedge Against Trade Shifts
- Equity Earnings Grow By 81 Percent in First Quarter
- World Tea Prices Soar As Output in Country Drops Sharply
- Beach Paradise From the Inside Out
- Agra Launches $47 Million Credit Line for Farmers
- ICG Defamation of Runners Still Hurts
- Investors Woo Uchumi in Dramatic Reversal of Supermarket's Fortunes
- No More Preferential Treatment in WTO Negotiations
- Blood Pictures
The Nation (Nairobi)
May 9, 2008
News Article By Kenneth Ogosia And Mike Mwaniki
The Government has released Sh160 million to clear salary arrears for nurses who worked for the Clinton Foundation.
The Medical Services minister, Prof Anyang' Nyong'o, on Thursday said the issue of the nurses' dues will be sorted out because his permanent secretary Dr Hezron Nyangito had approved the funds for payment.
He said all nurses who were directly engaged by the Clinton Foundation had been paid by Danish aid agency Danida.
The rest of the nurses were being paid by the Government through the Global Fund, which experienced financial difficulties last year.
"I have approved Sh160 million, which will be used to pay the nurses and now that the Global Fund malaria monies have been reinstated, we shall not have problems with the nurses," Dr Nyangito said.
Prof Nyong'o said doctors implicated in mismanagement of the National Hospital Insurance Fund were treated harshly by the Kanu government.
He said their discontinued healthcare programmes have hampered healthcare services in the country.
Brain-drain
Prof Nyong'o repeated his support for doctors involved in NHIF scandals.
"The arrest and closure of the hospitals amounted to brain-drain and mass collapse of health care services because today many patients travel several distances to reach NHIF-recommended private and public hospitals," he said. In the early 1990s, the Government arrested several doctors running private hospitals for swindling the NHIF of millions of shillings through fake claims.
The move led to the collapse of several nursing homes and many medical experts suffered setbacks and had their practise licenses withdrawn.
Those who survived the swoop either fled the country or are living in squalor as Government contracted doctors.
Elsewhere, nurses working in public hospitals will be paid Sh3,000 uniform allowance this month.
The cash has been pending since 2006.
Go on strike
Despite the payment, Kenya Progressive Nurses Association officials on Thursday warned that their plans to go on strike next month were still on.
Led by their chairman, Mr James Muiruri, they said if their demands were not met, they would go on strike on June 16 "as earlier planned".
They want their risk allowance to be increased from the current Sh1,350 to Sh20,000, among other demands.
