As the doctor’s strike enters day 15, there are no signs of the continued industrial action being resolved any time soon as concerns continue to be raised on the plight of patients across Kenya.
Despite efforts to resolve the impasse, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacist and Dentists Union (KMPDU), has accused the government of being non-committal in addressing its plight as the government in turn has threatened to sack doctors who fail to return to work saying talks on a return-to-work formula will only happen then.
With parties involved in the ongoing saga planning their next moves, the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya) has called for an urgent resolution of the health crisis in the country owing to the doctors’ strike and NHIF cash crunch.
ICJ Kenya Council chairperson Protas Saende has called on the parties involved, including doctors, KMPDU, the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Council of Governors (COG), the Public Service Commission, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), Ministries of Labour and Social Protection, National Treasury, and the Head of Civil Service to resume talks on a clean slate.
“We, a collective body of Jurists, are deeply concerned about the ongoing doctor’s strike that is causing untold suffering to a majority of the Kenyan population who rely on public health facilities,” he said.
“The nationwide strike has disrupted health service delivery in public hospitals countrywide, stranding patients who cannot afford health care in private facilities.”
Some of the contentious issues from the doctor’s side include the implementation of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), posting of medical interns, comprehensive medical cover, postgraduate training, and employment of doctors.
The doctor’s strike comes at a time when the government is transitioning from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) established in 2023.
