KMPDU insists medical practitioners are infected with Covid-19 in line of duty
Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) have ruled out assertions that they contract the Covid-19 virus within the community.
Instead, the union reiterated that their members between 12 to 18 hours of their time in hospitals thus ruling out the possibility of contracting the Covid- 19 in the community.
KMPDU Secretary General Chibanzi Mwachonda said during a media briefing held at the union headquarters in Nairobi.
“For you to say that healthcare workers contract Covid-19 in bars we will not take it lightly. That is an insult to the health workers!” Mr Chibanzi Mwachonda said.
They also demanded comprehensive medical insurance cover for all healthcare workers, employment of an additional 2,000 doctors to cover for the existing shortage and creation of isolation centres for health
workers who contract the virus.
KMPDU chairperson Samuel Oroko said that they are in the midst of a pandemic and hospitals do not have the capacity to isolate their health care workers who have contracted Covid-19 in the line of duty.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health at least 12 doctors have succumbed to Covid- 19.
“The nationwide doctors strike will commence on December 7 should the government fail to implement our demands,” the union said.
The union issued a 21 days strike notice on November 15 demanding provision of quality and standard personal protective equipment for all healthcare workers irrespective of whether they work in the public
or private hospitals.
