Doctors undergoing post graduate training, commonly known as Registrars, have withdrawn their services from Kenyatta National Hospital and the Moi Teaching and Referral hospital.
This followed a letter addressed to acting KNH CEO and the chief executive at Moi Teaching and Referral hospital.
Ouma Oluga of the
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacist and Dentists Union said the decision follows the realisation that the Registrars will not have anyone to supervise them since their lecturers are on strike.
"The Registrars remain unsupervised and unsupported in their duties and would not be protected by the universities, Kenyatta National; Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital should they patient complications in the course of their clinical services," Oluga said.
The letter was copied to Education CS Amina Mohamed, her health counterpart Sicily Kariuki, vice chancellors of public universities, and deans of studies in medical colleges.
Doctor lecturers went on strike on March 1 to push for the payment of their risk and emergence call allowances.
The KMPDU Secretary General said the resolution to withdraw labour followed a consultative meeting between the doctors working at KNH and MTR and those working as lecturers in Moi and the University of Nairobi.
He said the meeting further resolved that the administration of Kenyatta National Hospital should unconditionally reinstate staff who were suspended following the recent mix up where a brain surgery was performed on the wrong patient.
Further, Oluga said KMPDU wants the boards of management at KNH, MTR and the University of Nairobi and Moi university to constitute a team to review the MOU between teaching hospitals and the universities, patient safety protocols and the post-graduate training programmes.
He said the review should be done within the next one month by a team that is all inclusive.
"Until and unless the lecturers resume duties after payment of their allowances owed since January 2017, the suspended doctors reinstated unconditionally and the MOUs between the Universities and the referral hospitals review initiated,
services of the registrars remain withdrawn forthwith," Oluga said.
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