Otisa, 21, last week had a painful crisis but found the doors closed when she visited a public health facility in Bungoma for help.
The pain was too much and she went to a private hospital.
“At the private facility, it took so long before they attended to me because the National Health Insurance Fund card approval takes time,” she said.
While Otisa is lucky to be alive, the same cannot be said of John Mundiko (not his real name).
Mundiko felt sharp chest pain and fever before seeking services at a Nairobi hospital. He was not lucky.
He died after about five hours at the public facility because there were no doctors to attend to him.
And as patients continue to suffer amidst the doctors' standoff with the government, lawmakers are now pointing an accusing finger at governors, saying the county chiefs are the stumbling blocks in efforts to find a solution to the health crisis.
The MPs made the claim after the Council of Governors failed to turn up for the meeting convened to unlock the 46-day industrial action by the medics.
The joint meeting of Health committees of both the National Assembly and the Senate had on Friday scheduled a meeting of all stakeholders in the health sector to try to get a middle ground out of the health crisis.
The joint team is co-chaired by Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Maandago and Endebess MP Robert Pukose.
Apart from the CoG, the joint team also invited Health CS Susan Nakhumicha, Labour CS Florence Bore, Salaries and Remuneration Commission chair Lyn Mengich, Public Service Commission chairman Antony Muchiri and Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof Njuguna Ndung’u.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, Kenya Union of Clinical Officers and Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers were also invited to appear before the joint team.
The Cabinet secretaries were reportedly attending a Cabinet meeting but sent representatives to the House team.
Nakhumicha was represented by Medical Services PS Harry Kimutai and his Public Health counterpart Mary Muthoni.
CoG chairperson Anne Waiguru and the chairperson of the Health Committee of the Council, Muthomi Njuki, failed to attend the meeting.
They also did not send a representative.
Angry lawmakers accused the Council of Governors of treating the health crisis casually threatening to initiate law change to have the critical docket taken back to the national government.
The MPs also faulted CSs Nakhumicha, Ndung’u and Bore for not giving the health crisis the attention it deserves.
“These officers who are not attending this meeting are the cause of deaths of Kenyans and indeed letting the country down,” Seme MP James Nyikal said.
“The country must hold them accountable for the deaths.”
Narok Senator Ledama Olekina described the snub contempt of Parliament and demanded serious sanctions against those who failed to turn up.
“How do you attend other meetings when your house is on fire? In fact the country is bleeding,” Olekina said.
Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge, while calling for national conscience from all stakeholders in the health sector, said the snub by the governors is unfortunate at a time Kenyans are suffering.
“The truth is that Kenyans are suffering, time for buck-passing and grandstanding must stop,” he said.
“Kenyans are suffering, people are dying every day. It is sad that other people are not taking it [the strike] as a crisis,” added Mwea MP Mary Maingi.
Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni described the snub as unfortunate at a time when Kenyans were awaiting the meeting to get a solution to the health crisis.
“It is a very unfortunate day for the country. How can 47 governors fail to appear to find a solution to a problem of this nature?” posed Omogeni.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said it is time Parliament declines discussing the Division of Revenue Allocation Bill until the county chiefs shows seriousness in handling the health crisis.
“I want to tell the CoG chairperson Anne Waiguru, she has lost my support on enhanced allocation. They don’t deserve extra allocation,” Sifuna said.
“Parliamentary business should be prioritised. It is time to stop the debate on the division of revenue until the governors come here.”
Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek ignited the debate to have the health function taken back to the national government.
“CoG is the big beneficiary of what we are discussing. They can't attend because they have become demigods,” Kiborek said.
“Either we starve them of the budget or we make painful decision and return the health docket to the national government.”
The joint team will convene again on Thursday to find a solution to the strike.
“The decision is that the CoG, CS Treasury, Health, Labour, SRC chair and Public Service chairman be summoned as per the Standing Orders. They are required to appear on May 2, 2024 at 10am,” Mandago ruled.
Meanwhile in Nandi, Governor Stephen Sang' announced that counties will from next week start replacing the striking doctors.
Sang', who is the whip of the Council of Governors, said counties were left with limited options as the people who elected them wanted services in hospitals.
He said county governments had already issued demand letters to the striking doctors to return to work but they declined.
“We have also issued them letters of show cause…which they have also failed to respond to. Now from next week, we will advertise the positions of the striking lot,” Sang' said.
He spoke at St Augustine-Kipsebwo vocational training in Aldai subcounty during the distribution of Sh120 million bursaries to TVET and secondary school students on Friday.
Sang' said doctors in counties were striking in solidarity with KMPDU demands, which the counties had fulfilled, and only the issue left is that of intern doctors, which was beyond them.
“Now who will reverse the lives of those who have died as a result of their strike?” he posed.
In Machakos, Governors Wavinya Ndeti, Mutula Kilonzo Jnr and Julius Malombe urged the striking medics to resume negotiations and agree on an immediate return to work formula.
"The strike has caused untold suffering and even deaths to many innocent Kenyans, hence the parties involved must expedite the return to work formula,” they said.
