Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has reached out to the doctors' union in a bid to avert the impending doctors' strike in January.
The Kenya Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) issued a strike notice for the industrial action to commence on January 6, 2023 across all counties.
"COG Health Chair @MuthomiNjuki and I today met the National Leadership of @kmpdu to resolve the issues that have caused medical practitioners to issue a national strike notice for the 6th of January. We are making great progress and I’m confident that we shall avert this strike," Sakaja said.
The doctors have blamed counties of failing to implement their 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which they signed in March 2017 after a crippling 100-day strike.
They accuse the Ministry of Health, county governments and parastatals of abandoning the implementation of the CBA and adjustment of their salaries, and failure to post medical interns among other concerns.
"Over 1000 interns have stayed at home for more than a year awaiting posting and employment," KMPDU secretary general Davji Atellah said in a statement on December 20.
The statement followed the 7th Special Delegates Conference (SDC) held in Nakuru between November 25-26 that highlighted concerns that needed urgent attention.
Other than the delayed deployment of interns and the CBA, KMPDU also want doctors shortage in public health facilities addressed.
The union said it's immoral for patients to continue to suffer as the government trains and dumps doctors from across nine medical schools.
"Counties have extreme shortage, some even with one consultant serving the whole county. These two issues remain a ticking time bomb that will soon explode should the government continue to ignore them," Atellah said.
Other grievances include renewal of all UHC contracts and changed to permanent and pensionable terms, renegotiation of 2021-25 CBA and establishment Health Service Commission.
"In the absence of this, KMPDU reiterates that the industrial action previously announced is very much on," the SG said.
