The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) central branch has announced that doctors in Kiambu county will down their tools on March 26, midnight. Speaking during a Press conference, the KMPDU Central Kenya Secretary General, Bill Muriuki, stated that the county government led by Governor Kimani Wamatangi should act swiftly and address issues affecting medics in the county, such as salary delays, employment of doctors, and Social Health Authority(SHA) deductions. "We have given the county government an ultimatum of 21 days to adhere to the rules that have been set out in regard to the welfare of doctors.
The law stipulates how doctors are supposed to be hired and their salaries," he remarked. According to the union, doctors in the county have not been able to access medical care under the national insurance medical scheme in the past month due to non-remittance of statutory deductions to the SHA.
Meru doctors holding demonstrations on March 26, 2024 Photo Davji Atellah Additionally, KMPDU has further noted that the employment of fewer doctors in the county, especially in major hospitals such as the Thika Level Five, has crippled the facility's ability to dispense quality healthcare to the residents of the county. "In our first meeting with the Governor he assured us that he will be paying salaries on the second of every month, but for instance the salary for march, the county paid the doctors on March and as a result of that, those doctors who received their services under SHA, were not able to access healthcare from Ninth," he stated. "Because of the sadness of the low numbers of doctors being hired, some hospitals, such as the Thika level 5 hospitals, are struggling with fewer medical personnel," he added. The announcement comes a day after the KMPDU Secretary General, Davji Atellah, also issued a seven-day strike notice to Nakuru, Kajiado, and Laikipia counties, citing almost the same issues. Atellah, who spoke on Sunday, May 4, stressed that despite the three county governments penning a return to work agreement last year with the union, they are still reluctant to address issues such as employment, promotions, medical insurance, and wages. "We have been disappointed that doctors have expressed frustrations, particularly in Laikipia, Nakuru, and Kajiado.
We want to say that it is a big shame that the county governments have doctors and workers who are not valued," he stated.
