Photo/FILE Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o also said on October 2, 2011 he was not aware of the threat by doctors in public hospitals to go on strike.
By AGGREY MUTAMBO amutambo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Sunday, October 2 2011 at 21:09
Posted Sunday, October 2 2011 at 21:09
The Government is yet to receive any complaints of poor terms of service from protesting medical workers.
Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o also said on Sunday he was not aware of the threat by doctors in public hospitals to go on strike.
“I am not aware of these threats,” he said, adding, “I will deal with that tomorrow as long as I get the information.”
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) warned on Saturday that its members would paralyse operations in public hospitals if the government did not address their concerns.
The union’s secretary-general, Dr Boniface Chitayi, claimed that talks with the ministries of Medical Services and Public Health to improve working conditions and terms of service had not borne fruit.
“We want the government to implement measures of retaining more doctors through fair remuneration and professional development,” he said at a press conference in Nairobi.
But the union did not give a date of the strike. Dr Chitayi simply said, “Kenyan doctors are ready to down their tools in a couple of weeks.”
He said they would give the government time to respond to their grievances before taking any drastic action.
“We will set a date, probably at the end of November, but we are hoping that the government will take note probably before the end of November.”
The union accused the government of neglecting healthcare workers, adding that some doctors work for 60 hours in a week. (READ: Why doctors’ union portends better healthcare)
Dr Chitayi said doctors were poorly paid. The review of doctors’ salaries was last done during the days of Boutros Boutros Ghali as the UN Secretary-General (1994).
“In fact, Kenyan consultant doctors are paid less than interns in a number of African countries,” he said.
The union blamed the rising cases of negligence in hospitals on poor working conditions, tired and demotivated doctors.
The medics’ union was registered in August and has recruited about 3,000 doctors and pharmacists.
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