Doctors suspend intended strike to give dialogue a chance

Doctors have suspended their strike, which was supposed to begin on Friday after consultations with various parties.

The medics had threatened to withdraw services if demands of their 2017-2021 CBA remain unmet.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union secretary general Dr Davji Atellah said the move is to give dialogue a chance.

Speaking at the union offices on Thursday, Atellah further said the government has shown commitment to address the issues, which will be looked into before March 5.

"We are far from having an agreement but we are willing to give dialogue a chance. We extended an olive branch to the government to enter into the engagement with goodwill," he said.

The union has been in talks with Health CS Susan Wafula, the Council of Governors health committee and that of labour in an effort to strike a balance and avert the strike.

They decried stalled implementation of the agreement by the Ministry of Health, county governments and parastatals in the health sector.

Some of their grievances include salary adjustments, creation of call rooms, posting of medical interns, employment of jobless graduates, provision of working tools and constant consultations that would create industrial harmony.