Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has warned that the nationwide doctors’ strike is moving from bad to worse and will have a full-blown crisis in which all health workers will down tools.

Raila instead called on the Ministry of Health and county governments to immediately engage the doctors and other health workers to find a solution to the dispute at hand.

“I appeal to both the government and the doctors. I am convinced the doctors and all other health workers currently on strike will be able to craft a return-to-work formula and resume duty if the government were to meet their demands halfway while negotiations continue,” said Raila.

Disrupted health care

According to Raila the more than 7,000-strong Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) have been on strike since March 13 to demand better pay and working conditions, a move that has disrupted health care at the country’s 57 public hospitals.

Yesterday, after chairing an Orange party National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at a Nairobi hotel, Raila charged that there is no way an employer can reduce the salaries of employees’ mid-stream., adding that for the last 7 years, interns, have been earning Sh206,000 per month.

“These are actually the doctors running Level Four and many other public hospitals. I appeal to the government to reinstate the Sh206,000 pay for interns until the next CBA negotiation which is around the corner kicks in. During that next round of negotiations, both parties will put their cases on the table for consideration,” said Raila.

He said that counties are supposed to pay salaries of doctors who are enrolled for further studies like Master’s Degree while the Ministry of Health is supposed to pay fees, adding that although counties have kept their side of the arrangement, the Ministry of Health has failed to do so since 2018.

Stopped salaries

Raila charged that several doctors cannot complete their studies and graduate because of fees owed and as they retake courses, counties have stopped their salaries because those doctors have overstayed in college. “I appeal to the Ministry of Health to immediately engage the doctors and their learning institutions to clear the fee balances and enable the doctors to complete their studies. The ministry must also engage counties to resolve the issue of pay for doctors who have overstayed in college through mistakes not of their making.”

Raila instead suggested that the ministry should also work out a plan for paying stipend to doctors who forgo county salaries and Ministry fees and privately fund their higher education while offering services in public hospitals, adding that such hustles should be supported.

Raila also told the Ministry of Health to lay down the rules that ensure fair, respectful and sustainable labor practices by both the public and private health providers.

“I have been shocked to learn that some of our high-end hospitals are hiring doctors on as short as a month, two month or three-month contracts. This is wrong. The ministry is failing to stand up for the doctors to prevent their exploitation and exposure to unfair practices.”

According to Raila, doctors are complaining about a free for all system where some employers have the free hand to decide what to pay, adding that the result hasbeen a very unequal system where doctors hired to do the same job experience huge variation in salaries.

“The medical profession is too important to be managed so casually. The ministry must intervene for the doctors. I appeal to counties that have terminated contracts of doctors for one reason of another to reconsider their actions and engage the doctors,” said Raila.

He went on: “I appeal to them to reconsider their steps. I believe that the above actions, if taken in consultation with the Union, will see us avert the crisis that is building up in the health sector and pave way for less antagonistic engagement.”

Raila’s appeal comes even as the Kenya Veterans For Peace asked to be allowed to mediate between the striking doctors and the government. Kenya Veterans for Peace Executive Director Dr Nelson Sechere said that the lobby group is ready and willing to offer a lasting solution to resolve the stalemate through objective dialogue.