KENYA: Crisis as Kenyan doctors strike nationwide

Record ID: 340611

  • Title: KENYA: Crisis as Kenyan doctors strike nationwide
  • Date: 6th December 2011
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (DECEMBER 05, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DOCTORS DEMONSTRATING ON NAIROBI STREET WHILE HOLDING PLACARDS VARIOUS OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE KENYA MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS PHARMACISTS AND DENTIST UNION, VICTOR NG'ANGI, ADDRESSING DEMONSTRATORS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE KENYA MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS PHARMACISTS AND DENTIST UNION, VICTOR NG'ANGI, SAYING:
  • Embargoed: 21st December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya, Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Health,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2EN2VLJWH86GGBYVA1O47A0LY
  • Story Text: About 2,300 doctors working in public hospitals have gone on strike across Kenya demanding a 300 percent salary increment and hardship allowances, union officials said on Monday (December 05).
    Members of the Kenyan Medical Practitioners, Pharmacist and Dentists Union gave a strike notice on November 19, an action that is likely to paralyse medical services in public hospitals across the east African nation.
    In Nairobi, hundreds of doctors marched to the Ministry of health building, wearing their lab coats, chanting and carrying placards reading, "who will save our doctors?".
    The union says it also wants the government to address the poor state of the country's public health infrastructure.
    "It is clear that the government of Kenya will not listen to our doctors. It is clear that they have said we are going to strike for as long as we want and we will shout as loud as we want but they will not listen. In fact, we appeal to the Kenyan public that this strike is not just about the doctors, it is about the people of Kenya, healthcare in our institutions and we can try and make this better. So, we are appealing to every Kenyan out there to take it upon themselves to demand their right. Healthcare is a right," said the union's chairman, Victor Ng'angi.
    Kenya's Ministry of Medical Services has said it needs some 76 billion shillings (830 million US dollars) above the current budget for the next five years to improve the situation in the sector.
    Other medical practitioners including nurses, clinical officers, lab technicians, radiographers among others had also threatened to join the striking doctors but a deal was struck between the government and the union representing them -- Kenya Health Professionals Society (KPHS), which has about 31,000 members.
    A united front between the medical workers and the striking doctors could have potentially shut down the entire public health system, analysts say.
    The workers are expected to ensure that hospitals can offer basic services but emergency procedures cannot be carried out without doctors.
    "At times you wonder, you really query if its worth being a doctor in this country. For the amount of work you have to do and the conditions you have to work under, you really wonder if it is worth, if it was worth all the hours in school," said Hannah Kagiri, a striking doctor.
    The majority of Kenya's 37 million population relies on cheap public health care.
    "They should listen to what doctors are saying so that they will compromise actually people are suffering at the end of the day, something should be done," said Moses Chege, a Nairobi resident.
    There has been no comment from the ministries of Public Health and Medical Services so far.
    Officials at the Kenyatta National Hospital, the largest referral hospital in East Africa say they are "coping with the minimal numbers of patients".
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