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Mailu to meet striking doctors as deadline on talks nears

 Health Cabinet Secretary Dr Cleopa Mailu

The fate of doctors now depends on a meeting scheduled for Tuesday by Health Cabinet Secretary Dr Cleopa Mailu even as the union leaders have just a day to be sent to jail.

The health CS has confirmed to The Standard about the scheduled meeting which comes four days after the last one on Wednesday last week.

The Wednesday meeting which lasted four hours ending at 2pm and had ended with the CS leaving to 'brief' the President.

The talks were to resume on Thursday where the contentious Article Four of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was to be discussed in details.

And since then, Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) claimed not to have been reached out by the government for feedback or an invitation to another meeting.

"Over 50 days doctors are on strike to ask for better terms and better Healthcare, but the government heartlessly responds by sponsored hashtags on social media," said KMPDU Secretary General Dr Ouma Oluga.

But late Monday evening Mailu rekindled the dwindling hope of doctors and Kenyans on the failed talks saying he has scheduled an early Tuesday morning meeting with the union's officials.

Mailu expressed optimism that a solution will be found within the remaining window that leaves doctors union officials with just tomorrow.

"I am having an early morning meeting with the union leadership," said Mailu.

He added: "I therefore remain optimistic that if used well the window left can lead to hope for the doctors and the country."

However, if a solution is not reached by latest tomorrow, the union officials will be jailed as per the January 12 ruling for contempt of court by Industrial Court Judge Justice Hellen Wasilwa.

The doctors had refuted claims that they plan to resist arrest on Thursday.

"Why resist when there is already a court order. In fact we will present ourselves at the court on Thursday 8:30am. If spending 30 days in jail is what has to be done to achieve a better healthcare system then so be it," said Dr Thuranira Kaugiria who represents doctors working in Nairobi.

Dr Thuranira said all they are clutching on is just hope: "If we have the situation resolved by Thursday then well and good."

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