Hundreds of health workers participate in a demonstration in Nairobi on April 9, 2024.
If I need my life to be saved on the operating table, I know I could rely on a good doctor. Doctors are always the first people to be called if there is an emergency in an aeroplane.
Many young footballers playing in professional leagues, such as the English Premier League, have had their lives saved right on the pitch by ‘doctor in the house’ after suffering sudden heart problems.
Most of our politicians who love the EPL would be useless at the Arsenal football grounds if an emergency occurred. I, therefore, don’t think we will ever hear anyone ask if ‘there is a politician in the house’ during a medical emergency.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission is wrong to suggest that politicians deserve more pay than doctors because, as chairperson Lyn Mengich puts it, “education is no factor for more earnings”. She is wrong: Education is all the factor needed to earn more. Otherwise, why bother build schools and universities?
Let us just allow the illiterate politicians to treat patients and go to theatres to perform surgery. In fact, why build hospitals at all if we don’t need educated doctors? Let us give the jobs to witchdoctors and be done with the doctors’ strike!
I believe key workers such doctors and nurses deserver higher pay than most politicians in Kenya. Politics and, indeed, politicians in the country have given us nothing to celebrate for the many years we have been a democracy. The mistakes of pre- and early post-independence Kenya are almost forgivable but the lack of care by modern Kenyan politicians will always be the height of impunity in the country.
Most of our politicians are illiterate or semi-literate. Don’t be fooled by fake degrees. It is inconceivable that their worth, despite the pain they have brought Kenyans for their incompetence, is more than that of a doctor who spends years crafting his or her skills.
Even a junior doctor deserves much more than the Sh200,000 asked for. To set them off on a good path lifestyle-wise and boost their morale to be the best doctors they can be to treat us.
Talking of values, the only value our politicians bring to the table is that of sycophancy. And the vacancy in the sycophantic choir seems open-ended as more money is thrown their way.
Kenya is known to pay its MPs and political class more than even some of the richest countries from whom the government turns to, bowl in hand, for loans and aid. But despite the huge perks to politicians, the country continues to suffer insecurity, poor healthcare scheme, poor education standard, poor infrastructure and insatiable greed.
Corruption is more prevalent among the political class than, perhaps, anywhere else . It is just natural, therefore, for citizens and the other arms of government and private sector to follow suit. Politicians are here to kill the country, not just its people. What have they done that is tangible since we gained independence?
Most post-independence public projects are mired in corruption. Some—including schools, stadiums and roads—have stalled for decades. The latter is, in fact, the cause of the numerous crashes in the country.
Some roads have become impassable during heavy rains and the same rivers flood every year for 60 years. Passenger buses are the worst hit by incompetence on the roads as corruption ‘eats’ the roads that should keep motorists and their passengers safe. Most Kenyans who rely on the buses are the poor, who have become victims of grand incompetence and graft.
As the doctors’ strike drags on, there seems to be no solution in sight as both teams dig their heels in. I am on the side of the medics on the issue of their welfare. Healthcare in Kenya needs them now more than ever.
We, in fact, need them in large numbers to satisfy WHO’s doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:3. Public hospitals are seriously understaffed and the high ratio of doctor to patients is dangerous to the patients. A healthcare system deficient of medical personnel is not one that should be starved of funding for better salaries.
I disagree with President Ruto on the lack of money to pay medics. The government has been wasting money on foreign travel and unnecessary expenses that add little value to the lives of ordinary Kenyans, but for politicians. We cannot on one had claim to have no money to pay doctors and nurses but have billions on tap to nominate political rejects who will add no other value but sing sycophantic songs.
Were I the President, I would first throw every penny at the health sector to get it out of its own ICU and then establish a culture of a well-remunerated public healthcare scheme that is a pride of the nation. We have the staff but political will is what is lacking. We push other countries to employ our medics as if we have satisfied our healthcare needs to claim oversupply.
The list released recently of the unclaimed bodies at Nairobi City Mortuary included children. Could they have been abandoned by their parents due to lack of fees or were they victims of a poorly managed healthcare system? The mind boggles. That calls for a sense of humanity to be instilled in our healthcare system. It must start by giving respect to the work of doctors and remunerate them better than most politicians. Doctors are more important than politicians—and so is our health.
- Ms Guyo is a legal researcher. [email protected]. @kdiguyo
