KMPDU Congratulates Health CS Nominee After President Ruto’s Announcement on Friday
The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union congratulates Debra Mulongo Barasa, the new Health CS nominee.
President William Ruto nominated 10 CSs on Friday, including Barasa.
Barasa will succeed former Health CS Susan Nakhumicha if she passes the National Assembly’s vetting and approval process.
In a statement, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah stated that they are hopeful she will resolve the issues surrounding doctor interns.
We wish Dr. Deborah well and fully avail ourselves and our expertise for her success. pic.twitter.com/3wbCCvMnrL
— KMPDU (@kmpdu) July 19, 2024
“KMPDU Congratulates Dr Deborah Mulongo Baraza on her nomination as the Cabinet Secretary for Health. We warmly welcome her to the dutiful responsibility of ensuring quality healthcare systems for all Kenyans, including decent work for all health workers,” Atellah added.
Atellah added that the union is ready and willing to help her succeed.
“Being a young medical doctor and specialist physician, we believe she will quickly settle to the enormous task of correcting the disputes around internship and the constitutionality of social health authority,” Atellah said.
Barasa is an infectious disease specialist with over 18 years of experience in the healthcare industry and health programmes.
She works as an Internal Medicine physician and infectious disease expert for the World Health Organization.
The nominee establishes sustainable programs in Eastern Southern Africa, assists member states in developing and implementing national action plans, and provides technical advice on global policies and guidelines.
She holds a Masters of Medicine in Internal Medicine from the University of Nairobi (September 2012–December 2017).
Barasa also holds a Masters in Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (Ongoing).
She also has a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery.
Her primary areas of expertise include internal medicine/infectious disease, communicable and noncommunicable disease prevention and control in clinical settings, and public health programs.
If approved by the National Assembly vetting panel, Barasa will join the ministry at a time when it is experiencing problems with intern doctors, among other things.
KMPDU members had gone on strike for 56 days.
However, agitated intern doctors resumed protests at Afya House on Monday, July 8, to express their dissatisfaction with the years-long wait for their official posting.
They continued to protest for four days, sleeping at the MoH main gate on some nights, until Thursday, July 11, when they called the protest off in what they described as a gesture of goodwill.
They said they were committed to a fair and effective resolution of the current challenges but warned that they will return to the streets if their grievances are not addressed.
“In a gesture of goodwill, we have decided to suspend the planned assembly and demonstration at the Afya House premises scheduled for tomorrow Friday, July 12, 2024,” the intern medics said in a statement.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists’ Union signed an addendum to the Return-to-Work Formula regarding the posting of intern doctors.
The new agreement modifies the previous Return-to-Work Formula, which was signed on May 8, 2024.
“This crucial agreement, signed amid ongoing negotiations, confirms the immediate posting of 1,210 intern doctors, enabling them to start their internships by August 1, 2024,” Public Health and Professional Standards PS Mary Muthoni said in a statement.
KMPDU Congratulates Health CS Nominee After President Ruto’s Announcement on Friday
