Nairobi medics down tools, want County to issue health insurance

Nairobi Doctors down their tools on Monday morning. [Samsn Wire, Standard]

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) members in Nairobi have downed their tools and held peaceful demonstrations at Cityhall.

The doctors marched to Governor Johnson Sakaja's office, complaining over NHIF deductions that have not been remitted.

According to Dr Malindi Chao, Kenya Medical Practitioners, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nairobi Branch secretary, the union has filed a petition at the Nairobi County Assembly

"Today, we want to present this petition to the county assembly about this [sic] NHIF, we want to give it to the county clerk so that they help us fight this war. It seems someone is sleeping on the job," she said.

Dr Malindi Chao, Kenya Medical Practitioners, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nairobi Branch secretary addressing media. [Samson Wire, Standard]

Yesterday, the doctors announced they will be converging at Governor Johnson Sakaja's office in a form of protest, demanding the county government to issue them with a comprehensive NHIF insurance cover.

Dr Chao asked Nairobi residents to seek services at the Kenyatta National Hospital.

"All county health facilities will have no doctors available to attend to them," said Chao in a statement to newsrooms.

This comes days after health services were paralysed in Kiambu county after the move by the county government to transfer their medical cover from NHIF to MUA Insurance Limited.

Nairobi Doctors protest outside City Hall on Monday morning. [Samson Wire, Standard]

KMPDU Central Branch Chairman James Maina Githinji lamented saying that doctors had not expressed any concern with the NHIF cover before the transfer.

They're bringing us something from the private sector, we do not even know how it was sourced. We were supposed to have expressed concern with NHIF, but we did not. We were very comfortable with NHIF. So when something else is brought to us, we're asking; who consulted who?" Githinji asked.

On his part, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atella warned of more demonstrations if the county failed to pay workers in good time.

"We are demanding that all the workers in this county should be paid on time. Failure to pay them by the 5th of every month, then you will be having the hospitals without the workers," warned Atella