Doctors demand role in Ebola war as Kenya cases rise to eight

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has demanded the immediate inclusion of doctors in Kenya’s Ebola preparedness and response plans, warning that frontline healthcare workers cannot be expected to implement strategies developed without their input as infections continue to rise.

The union accused the Ministry of Health of sidelining medical professionals in decisions on containing the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, raising concerns over the country’s preparedness, the safety of healthcare workers and the effectiveness of measures to prevent further transmission.

Speaking during a union retreat in Naivasha, KMPDU national chairperson Dr Abidan Mwachi said doctors were being treated as recipients of government directives rather than key contributors to outbreak management.

“We are consumers of the plan given to us by the Ministry of Health,” Mwachi said.

He argued that doctors possessed firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing hospitals and the interventions required to strengthen the healthcare system, making their participation essential in decisions on surveillance, prevention, treatment and emergency preparedness.

“We are saying, as doctors, we know when the healthcare sector is sick, we know what needs to be done,” he said.

Mwachi warned that medical practitioners were among the groups most exposed to the virus because of their direct contact with patients, insisting that their expertise must inform the country’s response.

“We are demanding that the doctors in the country, who by the very virtue of what they do know the insights of what happens in our hospitals, be included in the decision-making systems for preparedness and tackling [Ebola],” he said.

He called on the government to act immediately, saying the escalating outbreak left no room for delays in involving frontline medical professionals.

“We must be included immediately, where immediately means now and now means right now,” Mwachi added.

KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Atellah also criticised the government for what he described as the exclusion of trained healthcare professionals from ongoing preparedness and response efforts.

Atellah called for adequate, quality protective equipment for medical personnel and urged authorities to ensure that individuals identified through contact tracing were isolated in line with World Health Organization guidelines to minimise further transmission.

The union’s concerns come as Kenya intensifies its response to the Bundibugyo strain following the confirmation of additional infections. According to the latest figures cited during the union’s statement, the country had recorded eight cases, including one death.

The rising caseload has heightened scrutiny of surveillance systems, contact tracing, hospital readiness and measures to protect health workers operating on the frontline.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has reaffirmed its support for Kenya’s response, saying it is working with the government and partners to strengthen surveillance, technical coordination, risk communication and community engagement.

The continental health agency said the early identification of additional cases demonstrated the importance of contact tracing and timely isolation in interrupting transmission and protecting communities.

It also commended the Ministry of Health and national public health institutions for their leadership and public communication during the response.

Beyond the Ebola outbreak, KMPDU has renewed pressure on the government to resolve longstanding employment and remuneration disputes affecting doctors.

Atellah demanded the fulfilment of the government’s commitment to employ more than 2,000 doctors, arguing that additional personnel were necessary to improve access to healthcare and the quality of services in public hospitals.

He also warned that the union could consider industrial action if outstanding salary adjustments were not resolved by the end of October, claiming that 29 counties had failed to implement previously agreed adjustments.

The union further raised concerns over delayed payments by the Social Health Authority (SHA) to healthcare facilities, warning that financial constraints could undermine service delivery and complicate efforts to manage the outbreak.

Atellah said KMPDU could move to suspend services if unresolved salary and SHA remittance issues persisted, although he set the end of the year as the deadline for addressing the broader outstanding grievances.

“As a union, we will move to suspend all our services if the pending issues on salaries and delayed SHA remittances to hospitals are not addressed by the end of the year,” he said.

The union also announced plans to pursue further healthcare reforms through parliament, with Atellah declaring his intention to contest the Lang’ata parliamentary seat in the 2027 General Election.

KMPDU has backed his bid, arguing that his entry into Parliament could provide an additional platform for advancing reforms in the sector.