Moi hospital in talks with union to avert doctors’ strike

                                        CEO of MTRH Dr Phillip Kirwa, and KMPDU secretary-general Dr Devji Atellah, during a meeting in Eldoret.

The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital is still negotiating with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union to avert a strike by doctors at the facility. 

The union and the hospital management have been engaging in daily negotiations for the whole of this week.

The CEO of the hospital Dr Philip Kirwa and KMPDU branch secretary Dr Kamunzi Mulei confirmed that conciliation meetings were still ongoing.

“We will give details later but we are still going forward jwith the conciliation meetings,” Mulei said.

Kirwa did not also give details but confirmed that the negotiations were continuing.

The union issued a 14-day strike notice on July 23, accusing the hospital management of breaching multiple agreements, including the failure to fully implement a return-to-work formula signed after a previous industrial action.

The strike notice expired on August 6, and the doctors have warned that they will down their tools if their grievances are not addressed.

“The matter is under conciliation, and we are optimistic that a resolution will be reached,” Kirwa said.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who was in Eldoret last week, said his office had not yet officially received the strike notice. “The strike notice will be dealt with accordingly once it reaches us,” he said.

KMPDU secretary general Dr Davji Atellah accused the MTRH leadership of hostility and non-compliance with signed agreements, claiming that doctors' working conditions had continued to deteriorate.

“We have been taken in circles, negotiating and signing agreements that are later ignored. Enough is enough,” Atellah said. He added that MTRH had failed to implement the return-to-work formula signed on February 19.

According to the unionist, the hospital has also failed to provide comprehensive medical cover for doctors, forcing many to seek cover from substandard insurers. “MTRH has perfected the culture of disregarding workers’ welfare.”

The union further accused the hospital of failing to remit statutory deductions to various institutions, despite deducting them from doctors’ salaries.

Other grievances include delayed payment of salary, continued employment of doctors on contract terms – contrary to the return-to-work formula – and disobedience of court orders.

“The working environment at the hospital has left many doctors depressed, disillusioned and desperate,” Atellah said.

KMPDU is demanding the full implementation of the return-to-work formula, comprehensive medical insurance for all doctors, immediate payment of salary arrears and the conversion of contract doctors to permanent and pensionable terms.

Mulei said the outcome of the ongoing conciliation meetings would determine whether the strike proceeds.

He said they agreed to participate in conciliation, but if the hospital fails to meet their demands, they would down their tools. “This time, we will stay put until our grievances are resolved.”