KMA calls out establishment of Ruto's health task force

President William Ruto.[File,  PCS]

The Kenya Medical Association (KMA) has expressed concerns over the formation of the Presidential Task Force on Human Resources for Health, arguing that it will not effectively serve its purpose in the healthcare sector.

In a statement, KMA Secretary General Diana Marion noted that the roles assigned to the task force duplicate those already carried out by other oversight bodies within the sector.

"KMA observes that the task force's mandate is already being undertaken by other constitutional bodies," she stated.

According to SG Marion, the Health Human Resource Advisory Council (KHHRAC) and the Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA) already perform the roles intended for the task force. 

Adding that establishing a task force to execute their roles will undermine the functionality of these two bodies.

Her remarks follow the appointment of a 20-member task force by President William Ruto on July 5.

The task force has been tasked with reviewing the performance of Human Resources for Health (HRH) in the country and recommending improvements to the legal, policy, administrative, institutional, and operational framework for managing Human Resources for Health without undermining devolution.

Further, the team is to review and advise on the harmonization of employment terms for all healthcare workers, develop a framework for the employment of 20,000 healthcare workers, and suggest any other improvements to the reforms in the Kenyan Health System.

Marion highlighted that KHHRAC, for instance, is mandated to standardize and oversee various human resources for health functions in an advisory and policy review capacity, including reviewing policies—a function the task force has been entrusted with. 

KHPOA, on the other hand, maintains a register of all health professionals, resolves complaints from patients and regulatory bodies, monitors the execution of mandates of regulatory bodies, and ensures necessary standards for health professionals are upheld, among other functions.

According to Marion, the State has yet to address several recommendations from other task forces and reports addressing HRH challenges, including the Kericho Declaration on Human Resources for Health of October 18, 2023. 

Therefore, instead of establishing a new task force, Marion advises that the government should strengthen existing regulatory bodies within the health sector and establish a Health Service Commission (HSC).