The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah was today injured with an unknown object during protests over the delayed posting of medical interns.
KMPDU, in a statement released this afternoon, the union accused and condemned police claiming that Atellah was leading a peaceful procession when he was shot and injured.
And in a quick rejoinder after the life threatening injury of Atellah, the union has urged all doctors to down tools and assemble in Nairobi next week and wear a red armband as a gesture of solidarity with Atellah who is currently hospitalised after an alleged shooting by police during protests.
KMPDU National Chairman Dr. Abi Mwachi, in a statement to newsrooms after the incident, condemned the action by police and announced looming countrywide mass action and the closure of all hospitals.
He directed union members to down their tools and converge at Ufungamano House in Nairobi next week at a date to be communicated to chart the way forward on their grievances.
“In solidarity with our Secretary General, we call upon all doctors to assemble at Ufungmaano House in Nairobi next week on a date that will be communicated after our National Advisory Council deliberations to raise our unified voices against totalitarianism and violence. What this means expressly is that we expect a nationwide industrial action and closure of all hospitals – public and private. Furthermore, we urge doctors across the continent to show their support by wearing a red armband in a symbolic statement of solidarity from Monday. Mwachi said.
Atellah was rushed to the Nairobi Hospital where he is presently being treated for injuries sustained during the incident.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the shooting of our SG @Davji by the police this afternoon when he was leading the medical interns in a peaceful march. The doctors of Kenya have endured enough! This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” read the statement posted on X.
The KMPDU boss had, in a letter to the Nairobi Regional Police Commander, announced a peaceful protest in Nairobi today over the delayed posting of medical interns and the payment of fees for postgraduate students.
The medics marched from the Kenya Medical Association Centre in the Upper Hill area to the Ministry of Health offices and were thereafter to proceed to the Treasury headquarters in the city centre.
Atellah had last week threatened a nationwide strike if over 1,000 medical interns were not hired, further criticising the Ministry of Health for refusing to absorb the medics thereby denying Kenyans medical services.
