Operations paralysed in Public Hospitals as doctors join clinical workers in nationwide strike
The crisis in the public health sector moves from bad to worse as doctors join nurses and clinical officers in a nationwide strike starting today.
On December 10, 2020 it appeared the crisis would be solved when several resolutions were hammered during a joint session of the health committees of the Senate and National Assembly that could have seen demands by health workers in the country met but yesterday it became clear that none of those demands by the doctors had been met.
Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny and Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina who co-chaired the session at Parliament Buildings pleaded with the health workers not to abandon the sick at their hour of need.
Kuttuny told the doctors to mark yesterday’s negotiations as part of the solution to their plight, and do away with the prevailing notice to strike since there was ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’
“It is an issue of giving and take. The National Treasury has told us that it is going to remit the Sh520 million in seven days, and the MOH has confirmed that the transfer of this amount will be done in two days to the NHIF upon receipt of the money from Treasury around December 19,” Kuttuny said.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) Secretary-General Dr. Chibanzi Mwachonda could not, however, commit whether the doctors will scrap the strike notice.
He only assured the stakeholders in the negotiations that the union will be available for further dialogue.
“We are open to dialogue but if the conditions we set wouldn’t have been addressed, all doctors in the country including those teaching in the universities will stay at home,” Mwachonda said.
The new crisis comes at a critical time and in this festive season when Covid-19 infections are also expected to rise. The union cited unresolved issues despite engagements for close to eight months.
“The KMPDU wishes to inform members of the Kenyan public that doctors will withdraw their labour per article 41 of Kenyan Constitution due to unresolved issues after eight months of engagement between KMPDU and the Government of Kenya and lapse of 21 days strike notice issued on November 16 and suspended additional 14 days,” reads the notice on its Twitter page.
KMPDU issued a 21-day strike notice last month over escalating Covid-19 infections and deaths of health workers.
The doctors demanded standard and adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to all healthcare workers from the government.
“We will be available for any engagement within those three weeks’ failure to which we will have no choice but to rally our members for our nationwide strike. It is our lives first. It will not be business as usual. Doctors’ lives matter,” said Mwachonda.
On Saturday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe is understood to have directed county governments to advertise positions for absent health workers.
Mutahi urged over 8,000 unemployed nurses to apply for the vacancies once counties advertise the positions.
“Those who are out there and looking for a job and also wants to continue working at this time
Can now bring their application letters to be hired. But we would like to continue with those whom we have and listen to each other as we continue with the work. That’s what Christmas would be like. We don’t want anyone to say last year he had a job and then next year you are a statistic for jobless people.” He said.
(Wale ambao wako nje ambao wanataka kazi na wanaaka uendelea na kazi wakati huu ndio sasa walete barua zao waajiriwe kazi na hiyo maneno iishie hapo. Lakini sana sana tungependa kuendelea na wale ambao tuko nao tussikizane vizuri tuendelee na kazi. Hiyo ndio ile Krismasi ingekuwa mzuri. Hatutaki mtu kusema mwaka uliopita alikuwa na kazi and then next year you are a statistic for jobless people)
