The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has called off a nationwide strike set to kick Friday after the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) agreed to review accreditation procedures which hindered clinicians from offering services to NHIF-registered patients.
They had threatened to boycott work if the NHIF did not rescind a decision that barred clinicians from offering services to NHIF-registered patients.
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers and Kenya Clinical Officers Association had given a strike notice on November 18.
In a statement on Thursday, KUCO said it had reached an agreement with the NHIF to provide a list of its gazetted members and institutions managed by clinical officers for review.
“NHIF, in line with its strategic intent on stakeholder engagement, has held meetings which have resulted in reaching an amicable solution over concerns of our members,the NHIF also has agreed to review the provisions that limit clinical officers from offering services to NHIF beneficiaries,” the union said.
Clinicians were objecting to the rule that required them to seek approval from medical officers before billing patients they offer.
While issuing the strike ultimatum, KUCO secretary general George Gibore said clinical officers were forced to seek approval from medical officers before authorising billing of NHIF-registered patients for medical procedures.
“If I want to do any scan for any patient, I have to find a medical officer to give me their registration number yet they will not come to interpret the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan,” he said.
“Within 14 days if NHIF fails to make a clear statement and recall all the forms they have provided that limit clinical officers, we will stop offering services to any patient that is NHIF-accredited in all facilities and we’ll be campaign at the NHIF offices,” Gibore had warned.
According to KUCO, over 70 per cent of services provided in health centres are facilitated by clinical officers, the union expressing disapproval with the Ministry of Health over what it said was a deliberate attempt to sideline clinical officers in the rollout of universal healthcare.
Gibore singled out county governments for deliberately excluding clinical officers in hospital management teams a move he said served to suppress their voice.
The union issued a 14-day ultimatum to NHIF on November 18 over regulations it said required clinical officers to seek approvals from medical officers before billing patients for services within their purview.