Kenyan doctors in public hospitals have now entered the 8th day of the nationwide strike, pointing to the government’s failure to honor commitments made in a collective bargaining agreement signed back in 2017. This agreement came after a 100-day strike, during which lives were lost due to inadequate care.
The strike involves approximately 4,000 doctors who are demanding comprehensive medical coverage and the placement of 1,200 medical interns. Union leaders have expressed their intent to defy a court order, citing the government’s disregard for three previous court orders to raise doctors’ basic pay and reinstate suspended colleagues.
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha, recently visited Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to assess its operations. She stated that referral hospitals are functioning well and reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring all national hospital facilities are operational.
In 2017, Kenyan doctors in public hospitals staged a 100-day strike, the longest in the country’s history, to demand improved wages and the restoration of dilapidated public health facilities. Meanwhile, doctors at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH) are poised to join the ongoing nationwide strike led by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).