The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has issued a stern warning to the government, threatening to mobilize its members for a strike within the next two weeks. The strike threat stems from the government’s failure to honor a return-to-work agreement that was reached with county governments, leaving doctors frustrated and demoralized.
KMPDU’s Secretary General, Davji Atellah, expressed his concerns while speaking in Nakuru during an engagement with the Union’s stakeholders. Atellah emphasized that several key issues remain unaddressed, despite previous agreements, with the most prominent being a court order to promote doctors and provide health insurance to medical practitioners.
The KMPDU’s grievances have long been a point of contention in the health sector. The Union has been vocal about the increasing pressure on doctors, citing the poor working conditions that continue to plague the profession. One of the most pressing issues is the lack of adequate health insurance for medical personnel, despite promises from the government. Doctors and other healthcare workers continue to face significant challenges, including long working hours, low pay, and insufficient support from the state.
Atellah also highlighted the plight of outpatient care, which he argued has been grossly overlooked by the government. “Outpatients are not considered enough, forcing them to dig into their pockets for treatment. This will only subject them to more suffering,” he said. The Union is calling for the government to review the social health insurance system, which they believe will ease the financial burden on patients while improving healthcare delivery in the country.
This is not the first time the KMPDU has expressed dissatisfaction with the government. In previous years, the Union has staged protests against unmet promises, calling for improvements in working conditions, better pay, and more equitable healthcare provisions for both workers and patients. Despite these efforts, little progress has been made, and medics feel that their concerns continue to be sidelined.
The situation has reached a critical point, with doctors and other health practitioners threatening to down their tools once again. The KMPDU has made it clear that they will not stand idly by while the government continues to neglect its obligations to the healthcare sector. The Union is urging the government to prioritize the wellbeing of medical practitioners and patients alike, ensuring that promised reforms are implemented without further delay.
As the deadline for the strike looms, all eyes are on the government to see whether it will take meaningful action to address the concerns raised by the Union and avert another healthcare crisis in Kenya.
