The Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has hinted at firing doctors should the stand off between doctors and the Ministry of health continue.
This comes as the doctor’s strike enters its eighth day today. The doctors downed their tools last week decrying failure of government to post medical interns and the ministry’s failure to adhere to the doctors’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 2017.
Speaking at a TV interview, Nakhumicha stated that the ongoing strike is a violation of a court order that directed them to call off the strike, and that they risk losing their jobs . She went ahead to defend the Ministry saying that it has implemented the CBA to the extent possible.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners (KMPDU) , Pharmacists, and Dentist Union has held two meetings with the government but so far, none has yielded the desired results. Following a meeting held on March 18, 2024, Nakhumicha said they had reached an agreement with KMPDU and the National Treasury that had given the greenlight for posting interns from April 1, 2024. She also said that the ministry will continue with negotiations to ensure the pending dues as per the 2017 CBA are paid.
The KMPDU officials however dismissed her talk and insisted that the strike is on. They attributed the dismissal to the fact that the ministry has made such announcements before but did not live up to the promises. The doctors have warned that the strike could last longer and its suspension is dependent on how soon the government will treat their concerns.
Nakhumicha has asked the doctors to be rational in their thinking ahead of the meetings to be held to try and address the deadlock that has thrown a spanner into the works of healthcare.
Great piece Wanja