KMPDU suspends doctors' strike after talks with Gov't

The doctors had issued a strike notice set to take effect on Friday, January 6, over what they term the government’s failure to honour their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2017.

Speaking during a media briefing on Thursday, KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah noted that they have opted to call off their action and prioritize the health of citizens as they await further dialogue with respective authorities.

"We don't intend to put Kenyans to suffer. It is important for Kenyans to get health services even though doctors need to be supported and trained, there is need to see the vulnerability of doctors," said Dr. Atellah.

Dr. Atellah went on to thank Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Nakhumicha for agreeing to meet their demands, among them posting medical interns and paying fees for postgraduate doctors.

"One of the things from them was the posting of medical interns and the CS undertook to be done by next week," he noted.

"The other thing was the payment of fees for the postgraduate doctors. This has also been given a commitment that it will be sorted within this month of January."

At the same time, Dr. Atellah noted that within the next two months, the ministry will employ more doctors on permanent and pensionable terms to assuage the worsened state of service delivery in hospitals.

The demand to establish a Health Service Commission, Dr. Atellah added, will also be considered to allow health workers have a stake at the deliberation's table in allocating budgets for the nation's health sector.

"We have said that the creation of a health service commission, which was one of the promises of the government to health workers that there will be a centralised board between county governments and healthcare workers," he noted.

"It is important because it will make sure that there is government budgets for healthcare workers."