NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 3 – Doctors allied to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) are set to down their tools from December 22 in solidarity with uppaid intern doctors.
The union’s Secreray General Davji Atellah demanded for a resolution of the 4-month pay delay which he stated has negatively impacted the medics.
Speaking during a press conference Tuesday,Atellah noted that they have been pushed to unprecedented corners which has led them to go on strike for a second time this year.
“It is on the backdrop of these unfilled promises and impunity on our interns by both the national and County government that the 10th KMPDU special delegate sitting on 30th November 2024 ratified the National Advisory Council (NAC) decision for Industrial action,” Attellah stated.
He further noted that the fraternity has so far lost 5 doctors in the last two months due to work-stress hardships and lack of responsive insurance cover.
“If the agreement, promises, pledges and court orders can not be implemented then they shouldn’t be negotiated, we are tired of the rhetoric of goodwill when the government is in contempt of the court orders that adopted the unimplemented return to work formula,” he indicated.
The SG further called out the government for not dealing with the issue.
“If the agreement, promises, pledges and court orders can not be implemented then they shouldn’t be negotiated, we are tired of the rhetoric of goodwill when the government is in contempt of the court orders that adopted the unimplemented return to work formula,” Davji stated.
In his remarks the SG pointed out that the national and County governments have totally disregarded their agreements and failed to honor their promises.
Atellah expressed his disappointment in the government by questioning why the doctor intern wages have been slashed by 70 percent, a situation unforeseen in workers history in the country and world wide.
“I fail to understand why the Doctor Intern wages have been slashed by 70%, yet they are the ones who see the patients first,” Davji reteriated.
“Therefore, today we here by issue a 21 day strike notice to commence on the 22nd December 2024 if our demand as per the return to work formula remain unfilled.”
Source: capitalfm
