Doctors signal willingness to end strike

Doctors on Tuesday signalled willingness to call off their strike and end the two-month suffering of patients.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) representatives said they were not the ones who have been derailing the process, but, the government.

“The truth is, it is time to compromise, but only as far as it’s done by both sides. Doctors are not hard-liners. We have taken your advice as our senior colleagues,” KMPDU secretary-general Ouma Oluga told the Senate Health Committee.

Dr Oluga, who appeared before the committee accompanied by Dr Daisy Korir (Treasury) and Dr Mwachonda Chibanzi (Deputy Secretary General), said the suffering of Kenyans was the reason why they went on strike.

They said that contrary to what Kenyans have been made to believe, the 2013 contested Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) had many issues meant to improve the quality of healthcare in the country.

The Senate committee chaired by Dr Wilfred Machage pleaded with the doctors’ to abandon their static position, where they insisted that the CBA must be implemented before the resume work.

Senators Kennedy Mong’are (Nyamira), Mr Abdirahman Hassan (Wajir) and Ms Mvita Mshenga (Nominated) piled pressure on the doctors and the government to reconsider their hardline positions.

“Take into consideration our economic times and the lives of ordinary Kenyans. Slow down abit and renegotiate on what is possible to break the deadlock,” Mr Hassan who is the Senate Deputy Minority Leader said.

Mr Mong’are who is also a presidential aspirant said Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu and Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri should step aside for allowing the strike to last for so long.

The doctors accused governors and the ministry of frustrating their push for improved healthcare, saying they have been reluctant to end the stalemate.