43 days into the doctors' strike, and after the government confirmed reaching an agreement with striking doctors on 18 issues, the government has now announced there will be no more salaries for doctors on the streets, a move that comes days after counties began issuing dismissal letters to the striking doctors.
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has declared that striking health workers will not be paid for failing to show up at their workstations.
She stated that the government has agreed to most of the doctors' demands, with only a few issues yet to be tackled. Out of the 19 demands presented by the striking medics, the government has considered 18 so far.
"If someone does not work for 40 days, should they be paid? It is the person who has worked that deserves to be paid," said CS Nakhumicha during the World Malaria Day celebration in Kisumu.
CS Nakhumicha emphasised the urgent need for the government to resolve issues around the health workers' strike, which has been a persistent concern. She likened the strike to a wound that is often nursed with a bandage but lacks a permanent solution.
"I want to call upon the doctors to come back to work; let us treat this wound so that in the future, we do not have a similar issue," said the CS.
In response, some counties have initiated the process of issuing dismissal letters to doctors who have yet to return to work, accusing them of breaching their contracts. Kajiado County on Thursday, joined others in stopping the salaries of striking doctors, including Kiambu, Kakamega, Kilifi, Nyeri, and Kisumu counties.
Tens of doctors from 17 counties have already received dismissal letters for failure to report to work, signalling a new phase in the ongoing standoff between healthcare professionals and the government. The nationwide disruptions of health services in public hospitals have now entered their sixth week.
The doctors had issued a list of 19 issues they wanted to be settled by their employers before agreeing to a return-to-work formula. According to the national government and counties, 18 of the 19 issues have been addressed, except for the one concerning interns, which they said will be taken up by the court since the doctors, through their proxies, have taken the matter to court.
"The union backtracked on the return-to-work formula that we had mutually settled on after a series of six marathon meetings. Their new demand on medical interns is an all-or-nothing out-of-court settlement," stated Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on Wednesday.
Despite all this, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has called for another protest.
In a letter on Thursday, April 26, KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah notified the Nairobi Regional Police Commander of the peaceful march scheduled for Tuesday, April 30, 2024, requesting police security.
“We are writing to notify you of our plan to organize a peaceful procession to address the Ministry of Health's blatant disregard for the concerns affecting Kenyan doctors as raised in the Notice of industrial action. The procession is scheduled for Tuesday, April 30, 2024, starting at 9:00 am,” stated Dr. Atellah in the letter.
Dr Atellah stated that the industrial action aims to compel the Ministry of Health to heed the doctors' demands after talks between the Union and the government hit a snag.
He rejected the government's offer to meet 18 of the union’s 19 demands, with the only exception being the contentious Ksh206,000 salary for medical interns.
