KMPDU warns 18 counties for neglecting doctors’ issues, wants healthcare taken back to national gov’t

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has issued a stern warning to 18 counties for providing what it termed as a terrible environment for medics to work at, cautioning that strikes are looming in the said devolved units within coming weeks if nothing is done to address the healthcare workers’ grievances.

KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah made the remarks in Mombasa this past weekend during the union’s Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) under the theme ‘Caring for the caregivers: Prioritizing doctors’ rights and wellbeing.’

The ADC was also attended by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, a historic move since no holder of the government office has ever attended the conference.

Dr. Atellah fingered the counties for, most notably, delayed remittance of doctors’ Social Health Authority (SHA) contributions, effectively rendering medics ineligible to receive the very same medical services that they provide.

Lamu and Kiambu counties were cited as some of the most notorious of the devolved units, with Dr. Atellah giving CS Duale two weeks to intervene and resolve the stalemate or risk medics grinding health services to a halt.

“Doctors in counties such as Kiambu are unable to access medical services due to non-remittance of SHA contribution by county administrations. The KMPDU National Executive Council (NEC) has declared approved strikes in 18 counties that I was to mention today, but because I have to honour your (Duale’s) presence, we will postpone issuing the strike notices by two weeks,” said the doctors’ union boss.

“We have tried as a union to look for the leadership of Kiambu County without any success, and so when we say we’re going on strike it will be the only option. We have strikes in Kakamega and Marsabit, your coming here today I believe will bring those strikes to an end, because when the healthcare of this country is at risk, we will not look at any Governor, it will fall squarely on your desk as the CS.”

KMPDU Deputy Secretary General Dr. Dennis Miskellah went ahead to suggest that perhaps healthcare needs to be reverted back to the national government, intimating that it is maybe too difficult for county administrations to handle the sector.

“Let the Health Service Commission be established to save government the trouble of addressing doctors in the streets every day. Healthcare should be taken back o the national government,” Dr. Miskellah stated in his address.

CS Duale, on his part, urged Dr. Atellah to furnish him with the list of the 18 non-compliant counties, promising to seek out their various leadership and have the doctors’ grievances addressed within the shortest reasonable time to avoid a crisis.