Fresh twist as doctors threaten to shut private hospitals

Kenyans should brace themselves for a total shutdown of all public and private hospitals after doctors, nurses and allied medical workers all joined the nationwide strike which entered its fourth day yesterday.

The health workers dashed hopes of a quick resolution to the health crisis when the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union announced that their members had resolved to have all private hospitals closed.

The doctors promised to stop operations in private and mission hospitals next Tuesday.

The announcement came as 290 consultants from the University of Nairobi withdrew their emergency services at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). The move was announced after the UoN chapter of the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) came out in support of the ongoing strike.

Union of Kenya Civil Servants also issued a 24-hour notice to the Government to resolve the health crisis, failure to which they will join the strike on Monday next week.

“It is wrong for the Government to use courts to arm-twist workers. The issues being raised can be discussed and resolved. If they do not end the strike today, we shall join the rest in the strike,” said Tom Odenge, UKCS secretary general.

And addressing journalists at the KNH, KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga maintained that the strike will continue.

“This strike will only be called off by the implementation of the collective bargaining agreement signed on June 27, 2013 to be effected on July 1, 2013,” said Dr Oluga, adding that it is the Government that has been on strike since 2013.

He said the union is not interested in any engagements to come up with a return-to-work formula but only a plan to implement the CBA will get the doctors back to the work.

In Mombasa, Public Service Boards from 47 counties yesterday said they were ready to sign a recognition agreement with nurses and doctors unions to end the strike.

Addressing journalists in Mombasa last evening County Public Services Board (CPSB) members however rubbished as “inconsequential” the doctors’ union threats to close down all health centres.

“We have read all the details of the recognition agreements pushed by nurses and doctors and we are ready to sign them. We feel they warrant what was agreed in 2013,” said Philip Kungu, Chair of County Public Service Board national forum.

He however said the unions lacked powers to call for a total closure of health facilities.

The CPSB members who were meeting at Mombasa’s Travellers Hotel called for a speedy resolution of the standoff and proposed that counties hire nurses and doctors on contract to mitigate the effects of the strike.

Meanwhile, Government officials continued with their talks with Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) but the result of the talks was not immediately clear.

DEAL REJECTED

“We hope there will be a solution,” is all Maurice Opetu, a KNUN could say after the talks attended by officials from the Treasury, ministries of Labour, Health, Public Service Commission and Council of Governors (CoG) which was represented by governors Jack Ranguma (Kisumu), Kinuthia Mbugua (Nakuru) and James Ongwae (Kisii). There were also representatives from the Office of the President.

KNUN Secretary General Seth Panyako, had earlier vowed that nurses will only end the strike if the CBA is fully implemented.

And Oluga said: “We are not interested in any meetings to come up with a return to work formula drafted by one side to blackmail the doctors of this country.”

Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu had drafted a return-to-work agreement in which he offered all cadre of doctors an increase of between Sh36,000 and Sh42,000 per month.

According to the deal which the medics rejected, a medical intern (job Group L), the lowest paid, was get to a monthly salary of Sh186,214,  while the highest paid (job Group L) was to take home Sh560,980. The salaries were to take effect on January 1, 2017.

On closure of private hospitals, the union resolved that on Tuesday December 13, all medical facilities should be closed, arguing that this is where leaders take their families.

“Because it is the poor mwananchi who is suffering, come Tuesday, all hospitals shall be closed. We want to the president to be humane to the doctors and to the citizens,” Oluga said.

University of Nairobi chapter UASU Secretary General George Omondi said the staff had agreed to support the strike by withdrawing its members from service.

“We are in agreement with our colleagues because what they are fighting for is not only just morally but also legally and the Government owes them responsibility and duty to implement the CBA,” he said.

He also called on the Government to speedily resolve the matter with immediate effect, arguing that the right to health was being infringed upon by the same government which is supposed to protect it.

The stalemate was further compounded by clinical officers who downed their tools in solidarity with doctors and nurses.

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO)’s deputy secretary general, Austin Oduor said they had been sidelined in their quest for better pay.

Oduor said: “Almost all professionals in Afya House are either doctors or medical officers and are likely to make pay demands which will favour them when they retire... we also need a 300 per cent pay rise like the doctors.”

A consortium of civil society organisations piled pressure on the different parties involved in the strike to dialogue even as Seme MP James Nyikal urged both sides to show commitment and trust.

Nyikal, a member of parliamentary Health Committee, said: “The Government must explain to doctors why the CBA was not implemented between 2013 and now and commit to make available the money that is immediately needed to stop the suffering of Kenyans.”

He further warned that a massive flight of doctors may be witnessed even as Oluga alluded to mass resignation from government service by members of the union.

The Joint Civil Society argued that devolution of healthcare was abrupt and was not followed by devolution of requisite resources.

“The Ministry of Health at National Government is retaining up to Sh20 billion out of the Sh60 billion that it does not deserve based on the fact that health functions are fully devolved,” their statement said.