Ouma Oluga elected president of all health workers in the world

KMPDU Dr. Ouma Oluga Secretary General at Kenyatta National Hospital on December 19, 2016. He said that the private hospitals with close their doors on December 22, 2016 as the doctors will join them in the strike. Photo/Jack Owuor
KMPDU Dr. Ouma Oluga Secretary General at Kenyatta National Hospital on December 19, 2016. He said that the private hospitals with close their doors on December 22, 2016 as the doctors will join them in the strike. Photo/Jack Owuor

KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga has been elected president of all health workers in the world.

Dr Oluga will now lead the global coalition of medical workers for two years, beginning this week.

The Health Workers 4 All Coalition is a global coalition of health workers formed during the 71st World Health Assembly last year.

The coalition advocates for universal access to skilled health workers everywhere in the world.

“Everyone deserves the right to access a skilled, motivated and supported health worker,” he told the Star on Wednesday.

Oluga will co-chair the global body alongside Amanda Banda from Amsterdam.

The coalition draws membership from the International Council of Nurses, World Medical Association, Public Service International, Médecins Sans Frontières, Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network, Amref Health Africa and 30 working in human resources for health.

He is the current secretary general of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union.

Oluga said the development grants Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union

the opportunity to advocate for the employment of more skilled health workers in Kenya to support the Universal Health Coverage.

He graduated from Moi University’s School of Medicine in 2010.

Oluga was jailed in February 2017 for leading a 100-day nationwide strike over a labour dispute between doctors and the government.

In the days prior to incarceration, he rallied doctors and the public to champion for more employment of health workers.

He later signed the first-ever public health sector agreements between KMPDU and the 47 devolved governments and the National Government.

Currently, Oluga attends to patients at the Kenyatta National Hospital as a frontline health worker.

He will graduate with a Masters of Medicine in Internal Medicine from the University of Nairobi this year.

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