Gov’t moves to avert doctors' strike as deadline approaches

With the clock ticking toward the expiration of the doctors' 21-day strike notice, the government is now moving to avert the strike—the second of its kind in just one year and one that falls during the festive season.

The Ministry of Health, through Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, has now stated that the government is ready to engage with the medics.

“We are appealing to them that we are on the table, we want to continue having discussions, we want to address the issues they have put on the table,” she said.

The government’s offer of dialogue comes as the medics, through their union, the Kenya Medical Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), continue their countrywide mobilization tour ahead of the planned strike.

Union leaders speaking in the Upper Eastern region have insisted that the strike will proceed as planned.

“Come the 22nd, no doctor will be in any hospital, whether public or private,” said KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah.

However, the union leaders acknowledged that the Ministry of Health had indeed reached out to them, but they emphasized that they would not be engaging in fresh negotiations. Instead, they intend to seek clarification from the ministry on the progress of implementing the Return to Work Formula signed in May this year.

The doctors' strike is based on the fact that the national and county governments have not implemented the agreement that brought an end to the nearly three-month-long strike earlier in the year.

The doctors had expected that the two levels of government would have paid intern doctors their salaries, settled the arrears of doctors' basic salaries, actualized promotions for medics, provided adequate medical cover, and employed new doctors. It is for these reasons that they now say they are returning to the streets.

 “We are asking all the medics to stay calm as their officials sit on the table with us so that we can resolve this impasse,” said PS Muthoni.  

The medics’ union leaders have said that they will honour the invitation but have warned the government against attempting to open fresh negotiations.