Machakos doctors ready to down tools as strike notice nears expiry

 

Doctors in Machakos county have told patients to prepare to seek healthcare services in neighbouring counties as the October 8 lapse of their 14-day strike notice nears.

The doctors said they will down tools on Tuesday if the county government fails to heed to their demands issued through a letter addressed to the County Secretary and Head of Public Service, Muia Ndambuki, a fortnight ago.

“Patients, if you are able to afford alternative healthcare either from neighboring counties or elsewhere, then, this is our fore warning that because we care about you, we don’t want to see a situation where you are stuck on Tuesday next week,” the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union, Lower Eastern branch chairman Dr Charles Okumu said.

They addressed the press at Machakos Level 5 Hospital on Saturday.

The officials held a joint presser with their colleagues from the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers and Kenya Public Health Union.

They had issued a 14-day strike notice to the county government over unfulfilled promises.

The doctors said their attempts to have the county honour its promises have not been successful.

“We are worried because since we wrote the letters, we haven’t seen the county government take serious action and steps towards ensuring that patients don’t suffer when we have lapse of this notice,” Okumu said.

He said the two weeks’ notice was adequate since they had been unsuccessfully engaging Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s administration over the same issues affecting their work for the last two years.

“We still have the same complaints since the last government left office. We hoped that this government would ultimately solve the problem of clinical officers, doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and public health officers, but it’s disappointing that despite having a memoranda with its leadership, we are still where we were three years ago,” Okumu said.

“This is why we decided to give a two weeks’ strike notice because we can’t give a three-year notice like the county government has taken to actualise some of these problems,” Okumu added.

He said despite their efforts to give the highest attainable standard of healthcare for patients in Machakos county, they are a frustrated lot.

Okumu said their grievances include delayed promotions, re-designation of specialists across all carders, comprehensive medical cover and allowances.

“Some of these issues don’t require money but retooling and re-designation of the health workers. We have been in many meetings with the county’s leadership in vain,” Okumu said.

In a rejoinder, Ndambuki acknowledged receiving the 14-day strike notice.

“I confirm that my office received a notice for strike from the doctors. The expiration date according to that letter should be a day after eighth of this month, that’s October 9.  I’m pretty disturbed by the presser issued by the doctors on downing tools,” Ndambuki said.

“Our doctors know well that we have always engaged with them. We have always discussed the issues and arrived at some levels of agreement,” he added.

Ndambuki said he had already given guidelines that they would have a meeting with the unions since they are their partners in healthcare provision in the county.

“We are still inviting for you to the table [your demands], don’t take the steps of calling the media to talk about strike notices that have not yet elapsed. We can engage cordially without exposing ourselves beforehand,” Ndambuki said.

by GEORGE OWITI