Doctors in Kisumu county announced they would commence their strike on Friday midnight over unfulfilled demands in the 2017 collective bargaining agreement.
The doctors vowed not to relent until their demands are met. They asked residents to seek health services elsewhere.
Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union Nyanza region chairman Kevin Osuri said even after issuing a seven-day strike notice to the county their demands were yet to be met.
Kisumu has about 250 doctors and KMPDU says they are inadequate to serve the the county and patients coming from other counties.
Osuri said the county has delayed promotion of doctors, denying them Sh208 million.
The county has in addition failed to provide doctors with comprehensive NHIF cover, meaning doctors offer services they themselves cannot afford.
Osuri told the media the county has denied the doctors study leave. Whereas the government deducts them money, it does not remit it to statutory bodies as required by law, he said.
The unionist asked the Ethics and Anti-Corruption commission to commence investigations over mismanagement of funds in the Kisumu health department.
“We will only be back to Kisumu as Nyanza branch to speak to the authorities who can answer some of the pertinent issues we have raised as a branch," Osuri said.
Acting Heath executive Nerry Achar pleaded with the doctors to suspend the strike, saying they were working to address their grievances as agreed.
He said the county was committed to implementing the doctors' CBA as demonstrated by progress in addressing various issues affecting them including work environment, training and promotion.
“What we agreed upon we have complied; like the issue of promotion the county government has made a budgetary allocation to cater for promotion in line with the doctors' CBA,” he said.
He said promotions to the next job group will be effected from July 1.
Consultants who have stagnated in junior job groups will be considered for accelerated promotion on a case by case basis.
Doctors who apply for study leave will be granted based on the training schedule of the department of health.
Achar said the county has commenced the process of contracting NHIF to provide a comprehensive medical cover for all county civil servants for the period covering May 2019 to May 2020.
The CEC Finance said all pending statutory deductions will be remitted as sometimes the money is released to counties late.
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