Kenyan doctors strike nationwide. Patients left unattended or turned away at public hospitals
Doctors at Kenya’s public hospitals began a nationwide strike, accusing the government of failing to implement a raft of promises from a collective bargaining agreement signed in 2017 after a 100-day strike that saw people dying from lack of care
NAIROBI, Kenya — Doctors at Kenya’s public hospitals began a nationwide strike Thursday, accusing the government of failing to implement a raft of promises from a collective bargaining agreement signed in 2017 after a 100-day strike that saw people dying from lack of care.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union said they went on strike to demand comprehensive medical cover for the doctors and because the government has yet to post 1,200 medical interns.
Dr. Davji Bhimji, secretary-general of KMPDU, said 4,000 doctors took part in the strike despite a labor court order asking the union to put the strike on hold to allow talks with the government. And Dr. Dennis Miskellah, deputy secretary general of the union, said they would disregard the court order the same way the government had disregarded three court orders to increase basic pay for doctors and reinstate suspended doctors.
Miskellah said medical interns make up 27%t of the workforce in Kenya's public hospitals and their absence means more sick people are being turned away from hospitals. Some doctors, however, have remained on duty to ensure patients in the intensive care units don't die.
In an interview with leading broadcaster Citizen TV, Miskellah said doctors were committing suicide out of work-related frustration, while others have had to fundraise to get treated for sickness due to a lack of a comprehensive health coverage.
The impact of the strike was felt across the country with many
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