•Despite the court order, a spot check across the country has established that the strike begun in several facilities across the country
•For instance, patients in some facilities in Mombasa were left stranded with no one to attend to them
Image: Magdaline Saya
Doctors have maintained that their strike is still on despite a court order suspending the same.
Speaking on Thursday, Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union Deputy SG Dennis Miskellah on Thursday said the union was yet to be served with the court order.
He, however, noted that based on what he had read online, the order does not suspend the strike but calls on the union and the government to sit and agree on modalities to ensure patients do not suffer.
"We have not been served with any court order but based on what I have read online the order said we sit down and agree on the minimum service agreement," Miskellah said.
"This means that we should at least offer some few services to ensure patients do not suffer."
The Deputy SG said the union had factored in the aspect of cushioning Kenyans from bearing the brunt of the strike by ensuring a few of the medics offer services in the critical areas of the hospitals.
"Even before the court directive, we had already told a few of our members to hold in the casualty and ICU to ensure patients do not suffer," Miskellah said.
Their sentiments come barely hours after the Employment and Labour Relations Court stopped the planned strike by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
The strike was to take effect after midnight Wednesday after the lapse of the seven-day notice issued by the union last week.
Justice Byram Ongaya on Wednesday issued the orders in response to a certificate of urgency filed by James Kounah Advocate and supported by an affidavit from Jane Akunda, both dated March 12, 2024.
The orders, according to Justice Ongaya, will create a favourable environment for negotiations and agreement on essential services to continue during a potential strike.
"Pending the return date or further orders by the Court and pending the determination and filing of the agreement on the minimum safety services mentioned in order 2 above, there shall be a stay of the taking effect of the strike notice and going on strike of the union's members as notified in the strike notice," the orders read.
Despite the court order, a spot check across the country has established that the strike began in several facilities across the country.
For instance, patients in some facilities in Mombasa were left stranded with no one to attend to them.
Patients in Migori were also affected by the doctor's strike with many services being unavailable.