The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General, Davji Atellah, has declared that the union’s plan to occupy the Ministry of Health offices in Nairobi remains on track, despite earlier announcements to the contrary on the union’s social media pages.
This morning, KMPDU’s official social media page announced the suspension of the planned occupation. However, Atellah has since revealed that the union’s social media accounts were hacked, and the message was unauthorized. “The union handle has been compromised and we are trying our best to gain control of it and clean it up. We must overhaul the system including those that have hacked the union handles. We remain strong. We remain focused. Tukutane MoH,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The planned occupation is a significant move by the union to address longstanding issues surrounding the posting of medical interns to health facilities nationwide. This action is in line with the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which mandates the systematic placement of medical interns to ensure they receive necessary practical training and to alleviate the chronic understaffing in health facilities across the country.
The KMPDU has been vocal about the government’s delays in fulfilling the terms of the CBA, particularly the deployment of medical interns. The union insists that immediate action is necessary to improve healthcare delivery and to ensure that new medical graduates receive the hands-on experience crucial to their professional development.
The hacking incident has added an unexpected layer of complexity to the union’s efforts, but Atellah assures members and the public that the union’s resolve remains unshaken. The planned occupation of the Ministry of Health offices is set to proceed as a demonstration of the union’s commitment to securing better conditions for its members and improving the overall state of healthcare in Kenya.
