Gov’t urges KMPDU to allow intern doctors to resume work with Ksh.70K pay

In a bid to forestall the looming doctors strike, Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai has called on the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) to allow intern doctors resume work, and accept the offer by government to pay them Ksh.70,000.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, PS Kimtai was under fire to explain why the ministry is yet to honor the return to work deal signed in May, that ended a 56-day strike.

This came 24 hours after KMPDU had accused the government of failing to honor their end of the deal, leading to cases of medics taking their lives out of frustration.

“What is stopping you irrespective of the negotiations from wiring that Ksh.70,000 to the interns anyway?” Posed Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo.

PS Kimtai stated: “The figure that is in the CBA is Ksh.206,000 and once we agree and the issue is sorted then we shall go back to the drawing board and backdate, but the unions have said No, do not pay the interns.”

Kimtai further saying that the government has committed to allocate a total of Ksh.3.4 billion to be paid in two tranches to settle the arrears should both parties agree to the Ksh.206,000 monthly payment.

“We have called upon the union to let us pay the Ksh.70,000 to alleviate the suffering of the interns…there are those who have no contention like clinical offices and nurses…it is only the pharmacists and the doctors who have not accepted,” he stated.

Among the grounds signed for in the return to work formula between KMPDU and the Ministry of Health dated May included the posting of 1,210 medical interns.

However, the interns have been surviving with no pay as both parties lock horns on how much interns ought to be paid during negotiations of the full implementation of a 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

KMPDU on Wednesday ordered intern doctors to down tools in protest following the death of one of their own, Dr. Francis Njuki, who reportedly took his own life due to frustration from his job.

According to KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah, many interns are unable to continue with their duties as the government has failed to pay them their dues, with some of them turning to suicide.

"These are children, human beings that have gone to school and are dedicated to serve Kenyans and because of the undoing of the government, they have decided to erratically change what has existed for the last seven years without any goodwill," said Dr. Atellah. 

He further added that the union will call for a grand strike before the end of the year after the government failed to honour and implement the return-to-work formula it signed with them at the end of the 56 days strike earlier this year.

"We are going to give notice for a nationwide strike for all the doctors. We have the Special Delegates Conference (SDC) which then will determine whether we are going for seven or 14 days but at most 21 days," he said.