•They said that their strike is duly sanctioned as required by law, and maintained that they will remain on strike until their demands are addressed
•On Tuesday this week, they will hold demonstrations at the Ministry of Health, and Parliament before proceeding to the Council of Governors offices.
Image: LEAH MUKANGAI
Doctors, clinical officers and laboratory officers have resolved to hold weekly demonstrations to push for the implementation of their grievances.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO) in a joint statement said the demonstrations will be held every Tuesday.
On Tuesday this week, they will hold demonstrations to the Ministry of Health, and Parliament before proceeding to the Council of Governors offices.
"Commencement of the next phase of the strike beginning tomorrow, followed by weekly demonstrations every Tuesday," they said.
The unions have also jointly petitioned the President to establish a working team comprising multi-sectoral agencies to comprehensively address the perennial issues in the health sector for posterity.
They have opined that the President, as the leader of the nation, should intervene and provide a solution, considering that the impasse jeopardises the realisation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
According to the unions, CoG, being pivotal in the implementation of devolution, government guidelines, policies and statutes in the counties, had failed in its constitutional mandate to provide advisory and guidance to the individual counties as required under Sec. 20(1) (c)of the Intergovernmental Relations Act Laws.
They have further threatened to proceed with legal action after the Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome failed to withdraw his statement as the unions and civil society had demanded on Sunday.
"The IG's assertion concerning demonstrations obstructing major public highways and roads, disrupting vehicular flow and pedestrian movement lacks merit," they said.
"Furthermore, the claim that the use of whistles and vuvuzelas during demonstrations constitutes a public nuisance, causing discomfort to patients and disrupting hospital operations is erroneous," they added.
They said that their strike is duly sanctioned as required by law, and maintained that they will remain on strike until their demands are addressed.
On Monday, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights called on the government to stop threatening and intimidating striking doctors.
In a statement, KNCHR said doctors have a right to picket, demonstrate and protest as enshrined in the Constitution.
The commission instead called for the provision of adequate security to the protesters and non-protesters during the demonstrations.
Chairperson Roseline Odede said it's about time all parties sat down for negotiations to agree on a return-to-work formula.
"The KNCHR calls for genuine consultations between the government and the doctors to urgently resolve the outstanding issues and agree on a return to work formula," Odede said.
She raised concern that the ongoing doctors’ strike has had and will continue to have direct impact on the provision of healthcare in Kenya.