The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) has called off its planned 30-day strike, which was scheduled to begin on Friday, January 6, 2023.
The union’s Secretary General, Dr. Davji Attellah, stated in a press statement issued on Thursday that the decision was informed by positive outcomes of consultations with the government to resolve the stalemate.
“Over the last one month, we are grateful for the efforts shown by the government and the acknowledgment by President William Ruto and the Ministry of Health…who took time to engage the union in a bid to resolve the very issues including employment of doctors across the country,” Attellah said.
The doctors had threatened to withdraw services if their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) demands from 2017 to 2021 were not met.
While the discussions had not yet concluded, Attellah stated that the union was willing to give dialogue a chance in order to save Kenyans the agony of seeking health care.
“We as a union do not intend in any way to take Kenyans back to that pain and frustration. We understand that healthcare is a sacred human right that must not be denied to any person, especially at their time of most need. However, doctors too need to be supported, to be skilled and to be motivated to provide that much-needed service and relief at the point of most vulnerability,” he said.
“We know that doctors have gone through pain waiting time and again for these issues to be resolved but we are intentional that we must exhaust all available mechanisms, even an iota of goodwill so that a strike becomes the last resort.”
The Secretary-General, however, stated that the union’s willingness to engage in dialogue must be proportional to the government’s willingness to keep its promises within 60 days.
KMPDU highlighted unmet grievances such as basic salary adjustments, the establishment of call rooms, the posting of medical interns, the hiring of more doctors, and the provision of working tools.
