By LONAH KIBET
The Government remains hard-headed and will not heed to the doctors’ plea to pay Sh92,000 to trainee doctors.
Health minister Anyang’ Nyong’o said the doctors’ strike was illegal and ordered dismissal from their duties if they failed to report to work.
He said they were jeopardising the lives of the Kenyans contrary to what the Constitution stipulates in Article 26(1) that “every person has a right to life”.
“The right to health can therefore be enforced in a court of law similar to civil and political right. My stand is that we will not pay the privately sponsored registrars,” said Nyong’o.
A notice was put up to warn the doctors and nurses in Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital to report to work by Wednesday.
“All staff and members on illegal strike ( doctors and nurses) are advised to report to duty by September 19, failure to which they should consider themselves summarily dismissed from MTRH services,” read part of the notice.
The minister was speaking at the launch of two health sector documents by the Consortium for Constitution and the Health Sector in a Nairobi hotel.
Musyimi Task Force
Among the doctors’ demands is for the State to comply with last year’s agreement to pay doctor registrars Sh92,000 per month and the implementation of the Musyimi Task Force report.
Some of the key issues published in the report would help deal with the health situation including health facilities, pharmaceutical services and and training of health personnel.
The said the report should be implemented to have better working conditions in which patients would have access to quality health care.
