When the central gov't says they're devolving healthcare, they should state clearly what exactly it is they're devolving: is it payment of salaries for healthcare workers, is it construction & equipping of healthcare facilities, is it procurement of medical supplies, hiring of new healthcare workers,....nini haswa? And if devolution ultimately becomes a reality, what'll be the role of the public service commission in so far as recruitment, deployment and promotion of HCWs is concerned? As it is so far, it's being said that those who wish to be transferred from one county to another will first have to resign from their present county then apply for employment in the new county to which they seek to be transferred, which obviously means securing employment then will not be guaranteed, this in a country with less than 3000 public doctors serving a population of 40million.
Why do we persist in complicating what should be relatively easy, simple and straight-forward procedures?
In light of all this, what'll become of the various CBAs signed with the central gov't and to which county gov'ts were not parties? And if county gov'ts are let free to hire & fire HCWs as well as determine their salary and emoluments, what will become of the marginal and remote areas/counties where no one may apply but whose residents are nevertheless needy? And what happens should a county be unable to pay its HCWs? And who'll take up the role of retirement benefits?
Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.