Strike off as doctors reach deal with Government

By Ally Jamah

Striking doctors finally called off their strike on Thursday following a deal they signed with the Government in the evening after three weeks of stalemate.

Secretary General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union  Were Onyino announced the strike was officially off in the presence of Minister of Medical Services Anyang’ Nyong’o and other union officials.

“Doctors should now go back to their places of work within 24 hours. The Government will not victimise any doctor who participated in the strike,” said Dr Onyino.

Among the things agreed in the deal is that all doctors who were sacked would be reinstated and their salaries paid in full, while the pending cases in the Industrial court would be withdrawn.

“We promise to implement all the clauses of the deal to ensure that we have no recurring strikes,” said Nyong’o. The two sides will begin fresh negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement from Monday.

The 157 doctors the Government was supposed to hire will be employed in the next two months on a competitive basis.

A taskforce will be formed to address issues of policy as well as the issues raised in the previous taskforce formed last year after another strike.

A committee will also be formed to address the issue of registrars, including the administrative reforms required in Kenyatta National Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital to enable registrars to be paid for their work done despite being on postgraduate training.

Backdated pay

Also, all doctors who have been working without pay, including intern doctors, will be paid and their salaries backdated to the time they started offering their services. Seventy doctors who had not been posted will also be posted immediately, according to the agreement.

The deal also includes the fact that the ministry has forwarded a Health Services Commission Bill to the Cabinet to form the body that will regulate health services in the country.

It is expected that it will be transmitted to the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution before going to Parliament for enactment.

“We are calling on MPs and all stakeholders to support the Bill to ensure that issues in the health sector are tackled comprehensively to avoid frequent strikes,” said Onyino.

According to the deal, doctors who were up for promotion will be promoted in line with their scheme of service. Postgraduate fees will also be paid and backdated to last year.