The Ministry of Health has arranged a meeting with the doctors’ union on Monday 18, to address the ongoing strike. Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha sent an invitation to the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union, inviting them to a consultative session as the strike reaches its fifth day today.
This move is informed by apprehension within government that the planned doctors’ strike may jeopardise ongoing reforms in the health sector and the efforts towards achieving the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.
As the ongoing disagreements persist between the Ministry of Health, counties, and doctors, patients nationwide are suffering the consequences of the strike. Many individuals who sought medical assistance at different hospitals found themselves stranded as there were insufficient doctors available to attend to them.
Nevertheless, the union indicated that they had consented to have a limited number of medical personnel offer services in essential areas, such as the Intensive Care Unit.
The union had said that they would only call off the strike, which began on Wednesday midnight, after all their issues are fully addressed. They disregarded a court order that temporarily halted it.
The Kenya National Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union national chairman Abi Mwachi said the decision was made to ensure issues ailing the health sector are addressed once and for all.
The court on Friday extended orders suspending the doctors’ strike to allow for negotiations and agreement on essential services that should continue in the event of a strike.
One of the persistent issues fuelling the strike is the continual delay in posting and payment of interns, a problem that has persisted for an extended period.
To this, Nakhumicha said that the issues raised by the medics went beyond the ministry’s mandate, hence the need to involve more stakeholders including the Ministry of Education given its role in the training of doctors.
There are also concerns regarding recurrent delays in salary payments and failure to remit statutory deductions and to address loan repayments promptly. Another pressing matter is the lack of comprehensive medical insurance coverage for union members, both at county and national government levels.
The union further champions for the conversion of temporary contracts for doctors in counties to permanent and pensionable terms. However, the ministry has maintained the posting of interns requires KES 4.9 billion, which it does not have until the funds are released by the Treasury.
