Health CS Mutahi Kagwe [David Njaaga, Standard]
Mwachonda maintained that doctors will not endanger their lives to undertake a ‘suicide mission’ and no amount of money will bring back a lost doctor.
“No amount of threats will make us go to work. Court orders will not stop doctors from dying and neither will they reduce infections among us.
“We will not engage in hazardous environments. We will not engage without assurances of our treatment and compensation to young families that most doctors have. There is no point in training doctors and not employing them,” he asserted.
The country now faces complete paralysis of health services, as doctors will also be joining nurses and clinical officers starting today, to push for better working conditions and enhanced allowances, among other issues.
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NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan doctors on Wednesday decried the death of a 28-year-old physician from COVID-19 as the latest example of dangerous and unjust working conditions in government hospitals.
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Stephen Mogusu was employed on a temporary contract and was never paid for the five months he worked in a COVID-19 ward at a public hospital in the town of Machakos, doctors who knew him told Reuters.
Mogusu told Kenya’s Nation newspaper after falling ill that he could not afford diapers for his 5-month old daughter.
Now his body is lying in the hospital morgue instead of being released to his family because his wife, another doctor, can’t pay the bill of more than 1 million Kenyan shillings ($9,000), according to a letter the Kenya Medical Association shared with Reuters.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe [David Njaaga, Standard]
Mwachonda maintained that doctors will not endanger their lives to undertake a ‘suicide mission’ and no amount of money will bring back a lost doctor.
“No amount of threats will make us go to work. Court orders will not stop doctors from dying and neither will they reduce infections among us.
“We will not engage in hazardous environments. We will not engage without assurances of our treatment and compensation to young families that most doctors have. There is no point in training doctors and not employing them,” he asserted.
The country now faces complete paralysis of health services, as doctors will also be joining nurses and clinical officers starting today, to push for better working conditions and enhanced allowances, among other issues.
Doctors Defy CS Kagwe, Begin Nationwide Strike
Health workers during a strike in Kenya.
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Kenyan doctors officially commenced their strike on Monday, December 21, following failed talks between the government and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
KMPDU secretary general Chibanzi Mwachonda vowed to continue the strike until the government meets their demands on PPE, risk allowance and comprehensive medical cover. It is very difficult to let our members continue working in very difficult conditions without implementable action. So what we need right now is action from the various government agencies to basically implement what is on the table, Mwachonda stated.
Patients discharged
All wards remained closed after patients were discharged when clinical officers and nurses went on strike that has now entered the third week.
The situation was similar in the five sub county hospitals including Chakoli, Khunyangu, Port Victoria, Nambale and Sio Port.
A deserted outpatient section at the Busia County Referral Hospital. [Ignatius Odanga/Standard]
Chief Officer for Health and Sanitation Isaac Omeri told The Standard that striking medics had refused to have talks with county health officials.
Meanwhile, the Busia County Service Board has started the process of hiring some 10 new medical officers. At least 55 candidates have already been interviewed.