Doctors across Kenya have entered the second week of a nationwide strike, leading to a standstill in services at government-run hospitals already grappling with shortages of essential medicines and equipment.
Demanding better pay and improved working conditions, the medical practitioners, represented by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU), have refused to relent until their grievances are addressed.
According to Dennis Miskellah, the deputy secretary-general of KMPDU, negotiations have failed to yield any meaningful progress, compelling the union to persist with the strike until their demands are met.
Despite a court order urging dialogue and suspending the strike, the union remains resolute, condemning the order as unjust and emphasizing the need for concrete resolutions.
The dispute primarily revolves around government proposals to cut salaries for medical interns and delay their permanent employment, a move vehemently opposed by the striking doctors.
In response to the ongoing strike, the government has threatened to recruit unemployed doctors to mitigate the crisis. Health Minister Susan Nakhumicha has directed major referral hospitals to hire locums to ensure essential services are maintained, particularly in critical care units and neonatal wards.
The doctors have announced plans for a peaceful demonstration, scheduled for Friday, which will culminate in a march to various governmental offices, including the health ministry, parliament, treasury, and county governors’ headquarters.
With patients’ lives at stake, the standoff between the doctors and the government underscores the urgent need for a swift resolution to avoid further escalation of the healthcare crisis in Kenya.
