The health crisis could worsen after doctors in private and mission hospitals said they will stop working and join the ongoing strike next week on Tuesday.
Kenyatta National Hospital, which has a large private wing, will be hardest hit after its 290 consultants said they will withdraw their services immediately.
The announcement was made after a meeting with officials of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, and the Universities Academic Staff Union at the KNH yesterday.
“All 290 Uasu members who consult at KNH have stopped working immediately until their demands are met,” said Dr George Omondi, Uasu secretary general the University of Nairobi chapter.
Doctors working in public health facilities went on strike on Monday, demanding a 300 per cent pay rise. The demand arises from a collective bargaining agreement they signed with the national government in 2013.
Union sympathetic
“The union remains very sympathetic to the suffering public and calls on all citizens to join in pushing the government to quickly end the stalemate,” KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga said.
He said the strike, which entered day four yesterday, is solvable by the government implementing the CBA.
At least 20 patients have so far been reported dead in Mombasa, Kisumu, Busia, Nakuru, Eldoret and Meru counties since the strike started.
The 2013 CBA directs that a medical intern straight from university should earn Sh325,000 every month, up from Sh127,000 today.
The monthly salary of the highest paid doctor would rise from Sh540,000 to about Sh946,000.
The new announcement came as more than 10 civil society groups urged doctors to respect the Constitution and resume work.
The groups, meeting at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, blamed the strike on failure by doctors to embrace devolution of health.
