Kenyan doctors end strike over inadequate PPE, delayed pay
FILE PHOTO: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Nairobi
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenyan doctors working in public hospitals ended a nationwide strike on Thursday with ministers saying concerns about inadequate protective equipment during the pandemic, delayed pay and a lack of insurance had been addressed.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, with 7,000 members, went on strike on Monday, saying the government had not responded to grievances it had been raising since the country reported its first coronavirus case in March.
“All the issues that were raised and itemised have either been addressed or we have given assurance of action,” Simon Chelugui, Minister for Labour and Social Protection, told a news conference, which was also attended by senior union officials.
Homa Bay Governor Summoned by EACC Over Medics Scandal
Governor of Homa Bay County Cyprian Awiti.
Daily Nation
Homabay Governor Cyprian Awiti has been grilled by the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) over a health workers scandal in the county.
EACC Head of Corporate Communications Phillip Kagucia on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, revealed that the governor appeared before the commission s Kisii offices to record a statement.
Awiti is on the hook after the agency launched a probe into the recruitment of 183 medical practitioners under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and some 69 interns under the same programme.
Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti addressing journalists in Homa Bay town on June 18, 2019.
Kenya: Kagwe Pleads With Striking Doctors to Resume Work allafrica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from allafrica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
22 Dec 2020
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) announced a nationwide general strike to begin Monday in the face of mounting Chinese coronavirus infections and deaths, which doctors say are the product of government incompetence in issuing proper protective gear.
The strike follows a similar walkout in September, also the result of doctors and other health workers expressing outrage at having to continually bury their coworkers throughout the pandemic. That month, government authorities revealed evidence the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa), the agency responsible for procuring protective gear for health workers, had signed multiple contracts with suspicious corporations that resulted in the needed equipment never arriving. Some of those companies had ties to government officials and were founded shortly before the deals were cut, with no evidence they had any experience in selling medical equipment.
An Army of White Coats: Exploring the Implications of Cuban Medical Diplomacy
23.Dec.2020 9:00 AM . 9 min read
There are 68 languages spoken in Kenya. Most people speak Swahili or English and at least one of many local mother tongues. In the streets of Nairobi, it is not uncommon to hear greetings in multitudes of different languages, from “
hey, how are you?” in English to “
jambo, habari gani?” in Swahili, including “
wĩmwega, ũhana atĩa?” in Kikuyu. Kenyans speak and understand many different languages Spanish, however, is not usually one of them.
In the past few years, though, Kenyans have been hearing Spanish increasingly often, especially when seeking medical care. The introduction of a new language in Kenyan society may be surprising, but it is not a coincidence. Like many other countries in the world, Kenyans have seen Cuban doctors enter their health facilities and provide healthcare alongside their local counterparts since 2018 when the Cuban