Medics Strike Continues As Patients Stranded In 132 County Hospitals

The ongoing doctors’ strike in the country has paralyzed activities in 132 public hospitals leaving patients unattended and stranded.

Meanwhile, the medics who have been striking for a week now citing lack of payment of salaries for the last three months by county administrations have maintained that unless they are paid, they will not report to work.

Health workers through their unions, the Kenya Medical Practitioners Union (KMPDU), Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (Kuco) and Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (Kumlo), have raised claims that for the last three months the county governments have withheld their salaries.

According to some union officials, their efforts to reach out and seek an audience with the administration have been futile.

“We are willing to engage with the administrators but they are ignoring our efforts. I have many times sought an audience with Kisumu governor but he is not willing to engage, even as patients continue to suffer in hospitals,” said Dr. Robert Sadia, KMPDU Kisumu branch liaison officer.

“Until our demands for salaries for July, August and September and promotions are met, then the county health workers he represents will not return to work,” he added.

The County Director of Communication, Aloise Ager on his part, said that the health workers’ demands are dishonest and selfish.

He said that the medics have given a deaf ear to the calls of negotiation to end the strike by the county administration.

“We have asked the medics to resume work then we can talk but they do not want to listen, instead, they are insisting on the strike. They will be paid this week as the county assembly already approved the 2018/2019 budget” said Ager.

Other union officials have however disputed the claims saying that before they resorted to striking, they had exhausted all possible resolution mechanisms.

They have also warned residents against seeking medical attention in any public hospitals as they are likely to encounter quacks.

“We want our member to remain at home because our employer won’t listen to us. Meanwhile, patients should avoid public facilities because all professionals are on strike,” said Maurice Opetu, the Kisumu branch Knun Secretary-General.

As at now, all wards, including the gynecological ward at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referal Hospital are closed, with an exception of a few wards with frail patients who are being taken care of by interns and few nurses from local Non-Governmental Organisations