Through their union, the clinical officers described the move by the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya as void as they are qualified to prescribe medicines/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 24 – Clinical Officers have taken exception to threats by pharmacists to stop the supply of drugs to hospitals as a result of the ongoing strike by doctors.
Through their union, the clinical officers described the move by the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya as void as they are qualified to prescribe medicines.
Kenya Union of Clinical Officers Chairman Albert Taiti has encouraged Kenyans not to be alarmed as they will be available to serve them even as the strike by doctors continues.
“Seventy percent of the diagnosis and services in the whole country are provided by clinical officers from all levels. We are urging Kenyans to feel quite comfortable. They should not suffer during these festivities. Let them go out to the facilities. The clinical officers will be out there waiting for them so that they may serve them,” he said.
He described the statement made by the pharmacists’ union as unfortunate and stated that all Kenyans are beneficiaries of their services.
“What was purported by Dr Paul Mwaniki was very unfortunate bearing in mind that he is one of the beneficiaries of the prescriptions by well qualified clinical officers. We cannot take that lightly,” he stated.
“We are going to seek legal advice and we give Dr Paul Mwaniki just an opportunity… seven days to apologise to the profession.”
He stressed that that the foremost priority for the clinical officers is to ensure the welfare of Kenyans is taken care of.
“We shall not engage in petty issues, we shall not engage in what is not important for the Kenyans at the moment. We shall engage in what really adds value to the health services in Kenya and also to our cadres as clinical officers. We also want to remind Kenyans that we have up to 18 cadres who are already working apart from one cadre which is the medical officers who are not at work,” he said.
On Friday, the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya said unqualified people might be handling drugs in hospitals due to the absence of doctors who are still on strike.
READ: Pharmacists to block drugs supply unless doctors strike resolved
Mwaniki expressed fear that unqualified people might be handling drugs in hospitals due to the absence of doctors who are still on strike.
He indicated that the withdrawal will be for the safety of all Kenyans.
Mwaniki further called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and end the industrial action that has paralysed health services in all public hospitals.
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