Doctors have joined their fellow nurses and clinical workers in an ongoing nationwide strike after the lapse of the 14 days they set aside for talks. – By Gerald Gekara.
“The Kenya government has neglected the Welfare, Safety & Health of health care workers. No provision of medical insurance, Workman injury benefits & Compensation & lack of adequate quality PPEs. Healthcare workers have died & now facing threats of sacking for protesting.” KMPDU said in a tweet.
The doctors lamented the lack of good will from the government to solve the stalemate, and accusing the Ministry of Health for threatening them.
In a press briefing on Friday 18 December, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe scorned the doctors for not being humane, threatening to have them replaced with working health workers. Kagwe said amicable solutions to the issues are sought.
“I can confirm that my Ministry and that of Labour and Social Protection continues to engage with union officials to find an amicable solution to the issues that concern their members. That is why we are asking all striking health workers to go back to their work stations all the country and avoid being a statistic of the people who will be looking for jobs come January,” Kagwe said.
However, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) say the government has not made effort to mitigate on their grievances.
They continue to call on health workers to protest until their woes are heard.
“The grievances raised have not been resolved for the past 8 months, efforts to mediate the stalemate between the health unions by the @NAssemblyKE & @Senate_KE have failed.” KMPDU added.
