The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has maintained its stance on medical intern pay, claiming that the government’s promise to meet their other demands will not supersede the former.
In a statement released on Tuesday, KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah rejected the government’s offer to meet 18 of the union’s 19 demands, with the exception of the contentious Ksh.206,000 salary for medical interns.
Dr. Atellah emphasised the interns’ plight, referring to them as the “most vulnerable” group, and stated that the union is willing to compromise on all other demands as long as the young medics’ wages are met.
“Dear Government, the doctors are saying that since you have publicly said that you conceded to 18 of our 19 demands (except internship), kindly take back the 18 and give us the 1. As a community, we are not used to abandoning the most vulnerable, and to us, interns are currently very vulnerable,” he stated.
Dr. Dennis Miskellah, KMPDU Deputy Secretary General, reiterated Dr. Atellah’s remarks while urging Health Cabinet Secretary Wafula Nakhumicha to take Ksh.3.4 billion from the government’s offer of Ksh.6.1 billion and use it to pay interns.
According to Dr. Miskellah, the doctors will gladly accept the remaining Ksh.2.7 billion as long as the interns are taken care of.
“Waziri @Nakhumicha_S, the doctors are saying that the 6.1 Billion you have offered them, kindly take 3.4 billion from it and pay the interns. We shall share the balance. As doctors our training and instinct is to protect the vulnerable. Amongst us, interns are the most vulnerable and we must stand with them,” he wrote in a separate statement.
The remarks by union bosses come as a rejoinder to the government which expected the doctors to give their stand on the 41-day-long strike following the conclusion of negotiations through the Whole of Nation Approach Committee chaired by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.
The doctors have been protesting the government’s failure to post medical interns and obey a 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on doctors’ labour terms.
CS Nakhumicha has since also threatened to move to court if KMPDU fails to call off the doctors’ strike following the protracted talks.
