Roundup: Striking Kenyan doctors vow to paralyze health services

Striking Kenyan doctors on Monday vowed total shutdown of health services in the East African nation from Thursday as their industrial action entered its third week.

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Ouma Oluga told journalists in Nairobi that the doctors working in private, mission and other public health facilities have resolved to join the strike.

Oluga announced that they had already withdrawn their services from major private hospitals including Nairobi Hospital, the Aga Khan Hospital and MP Shah Hospital.

"All activities at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Private Wing have been withdrawn. We have also withdrawn our members from all major private hospitals; Nairobi, Aga Khan, MP Shah," he said.

He also maintained that the doctors' strike will not be called off until they reach a deal with the ministry of health on the implementation of the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

"We wonder why the judiciary is terming our strike illegal even after we had battled in court and they gave the government a one month ultimatum to implement the 2013 CBA, this is questionable," Oluga told journalists in Nairobi.

He said there will be more talks on the contested CBA unless the discussions focus on its implementation and accused the judiciary over double standards in handling of the doctors issues.

"Reports of the Kenyatta hospital private wing being in operations have been talked about but I want to tell you that we have discussed with the doctors and it will completely be out of operation," Oluga said.

The doctors are demanding a 300 per cent salary increase for its members as agreed in the CBA.

The doctors said that the industrial action was occasioned by three year industrial dispute concerning the disputed CBA signed on June 27, 2013 and effective July 1, 2013.

They accuse the government side of failing to show any good will in the negotiation process but instead threatening them with law suits.

They are also demanding the hiring of more medics and improvement of working conditions in all hospitals across the country.

The doctors have argued that they have been forced to work for long hours owing to the doctor to patient ratio that stands at 1:16,000.

However, the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) called off their strike last week after signing Recognition Agreement with National Government and County Government.

The current standoff has thrown the health sector into crisis with several patients reported to have died due to the strike.

The crisis has also forced the government to deploy the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) doctors to the largest referral hospital, KNH, to attend to emergency services after talks collapsed.

The doctors have threatened to withdraw from any kind of negotiations if the government takes legal action on the union leaders.

The union leaders had earlier been issued with a notice to appear before the industrial court on Monday and explain why legal action should not be taken against them for violating the court decision.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board said all medical specialists offering services in private hospitals have given the government a two days ultimatum to fulfill the 2013 CBA.

The medics led by Professor Emily Rogena, a pathologist at Kenyatta National Hospital private wing, said that the government had shown reluctance in the previous negotiations, something that has led to loss of lives.

"We have come to this decision in show of solidarity to our colleagues in the public sector that we also serve and know the challenges that are affecting them," Rogena said.

Last week, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board warned striking doctors not to disrupt services at private and mission hospitals terming the move as illegal. Endit