Health care workers stage a protest during the ongoing doctors’ strike
The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) has issued a notice of doctors’ strike that will be effective from Monday, December 21, 2020.
Through a notice on Twitter, the union cited unresolved issues despite engagements for close to eight months.
The Cadres of doctors that will be on strike include Medical officers interns, pharmacists interns, dental officer interns, medical officers, pharmacists, dentists, medical specialists and all medical superintendents.
“The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union wishes to inform members of the Kenyan public that doctors will withdraw their labor in accordance with article 41 of Kenyan Constitution due to unresolved issues after 8 months of engagement between KMPDU and the Government of Kenya and lapse of 21 days Strike notice issued on 16th November 2020 and suspended additional 14 days,” reads the notice.
PUBLIC NOTICE ON THE DOCTORS STRIKE!! pic.twitter.com/qI32IrVNxo
— KMPDU (@kmpdu) December 19, 2020
Last month, the union issued a 21-day strike notice over escalating COVID-19 infections and deaths of health workers.
The medics demanded standard and adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to all Healthcare workers from the government.
“We will be available for any engagement within those three weeks’ failure to which we will have no choice but to rally our members for our nationwide strike. It is our lives first. It will not be business as usual. Doctors’ lives matter,” said KMPDU secretary general Chibanzi Mwachonda.
Already, more than 30 health workers have succumbed to the disease since the first case was confirmed in the country in March.
Among the doctors who have succumbed to Covid-19 include Dr Doreen Lugaliki, Dr Ndambuki Mboloi, Dr Daniel Alushula, Dr Vladimir Schuckin, Dr Hudson Inyangala, and Dr Emarah Ashraf.
Others include Dr Robert Ayisi, Dr Hudson Alumera, Dr Faith Mbuba and Dr Jackline Njoroge with the most recent being 28-year-old Stephen Mogusu.
