KMPDU tells intern doctors to withdraw services, threatens nationwide strike in December

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has 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. 

"As a union we have tried to be patient and negotiate with goodwill but our patience has been mistaken for weakness, because when we go on strike it is different. It doesn't mean that the roads will delay. It doesn't mean that children will not go to school. When we go on strike people lose their lives."

Dr. Atellah’s sentiments were echoed by his deputy Dr. Dennis Miskellah, who warned that that had five other intern doctors not been rescued from suicide, the death toll would have been even higher.

"We would be talking about seven of them if the other five were not rescued. What about the Kenyans who are going to lose their lives when we go on strike?" he posed.

Further, Dr. Atellah 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.

"I believe because of the urgency of the matter and the frustrations that is there with doctors across the country, we may not go beyond 14 days and that means next week we will issue the notice openly at Safari Park when these other doctors across the country will join."

Further, Miskellah raised concerns about the potential loss of lives if the union goes on strike, inviting Kenyans to join them in their protest come December.

"I want to invite Kenyans to come and join us on this strike come December. Kenyans are being put in a plane where the pilot who is the doctor is suicidal but the airline claims that they have insured the plane, fueled  it and if the patient should trust themselves to fly with this sick pilot. For once let us ask who will care about us," he said.