Nairobi Hospital board dismisses call for strike, defends recent AGM

Nairobi Hospital Acting Chief Executive Officer Felix Osano (left) with the Board of Management Chairman Chris Bichage during a media briefing on the looming strike by Medical doctors held on December 11, 2024. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

The board of the Nairobi Hospital has denied knowledge of a strike notice.

Dr Chris Bichage, the board chairman, said those who demonstrated outside the hospital on Tuesday were not hospital employees and thus had no authority to urge workers to go on strike.

"We wish to inform all our stakeholders, partners, clients and the general public that the doctors of the Nairobi Hospital are not on strike. The Hospital's operations are running smoothly, and all our staff are working tirelessly to offer our patients excellent service. Those who were protesting outside the hospital gate were hooligans and not Nairobi Hospital employees," he said.

On Tuesday, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union called on the members of the Kenya Hospital Association to go on strike after seven days. The union also demanded the resignation of the board and acting Chief Executive Officer Felix Osano.

KHA is the corporate body that owns the hospital.

Union Secretary General Davji Atellah also asked lab technicians and the support staff including cooks and cleaners to join the strike "and save the hospital from further deterioration".

But on Wednesday, the hospital dismissed the notice.

"We pay all our employee salaries and consultants' dues on time, and we are not aware of any grievances brought to our attention by employees," said Bichage.

There are about 700 independent consultants working within the hospital and 140 doctors under the payroll.

Mbuthia Kinyanjui, the vice chair, said for a person to participate in the AGM, one needs to be a fully paid-up KHA member. The board asked those unhappy with the decisions of the December 4 annual general meeting to "move on to other institutions" or go to court.

Bichage said the board is "legally constituted" following the AGM.

Bichage dismissed previous claims that the hospital's problems are partly based on the purported Sh4.2 billion loan the facility was said to be seeking, saying the hospital "is a going concern where you either borrow or lend depending on cash flow and management advice".