Embu Doctors Issue Strike Notice Over Poor Working Conditions

• KMPDU secretary general Davji Atellah said the Embu county medics are not receiving the support to offer services
• Atellah said they would not continue pleading with the county government to address their issues
• He said the medics resolved to adopt a multi-pronged approach that included a strike which would commence upon the lapse of a 21-day strike notice

A healthcare crisis is looming in Embu after doctors in the county issued a 21-day strike notice in protest of, among other grievances, poor working conditions.

The Kenya Medical Pharmacists, Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) secretary general Davji Atellah said the said county medics are not supported to offer services.

State of Embu hospitals

Speaking to journalists after a Kamukunji (meeting) on Monday, August 7, Atellah regretted that Embu county, hospitals have no drugs, equipment, lab reagents and other medical supplies.

"Embu doctors are being subjected to injustices that can not wait any longer. We can not negotiate CBAs or have career progression guidelines and schemes of services just to gather dust in closets.

These documents are agreements and procedures intended to support doctors in offering services to the public effectively," said Atellah.

Atellah insisted that they would not continue pleading with the county government administration to address their demands.

"We are not going to be in the business of begging for favours from counties. It is high time we took action on Embu county's indifference to doctors' welfare, where consultants are stagnating and retiring in job group M, doctors engaged in poor and demeaning contracts, dire staff shortages and failure to remit statutory deductions inadequate and demotivated healthcare workers," he added.

Consequently, the medics resolved to adopt a multi-pronged approach that included a strike which would commence in the following 21 days if their demands are not addressed.

Doctors demand salary increase

In other news, KMPDU initiated their push for better pay for doctors.

The medics, as earlier stated, demand an increment in their monthly pay to compensate for the current high cost of living.

On Thursday, July 27, Atellah held a meeting with doctors in Bomet, from which they unanimously agreed to commence their salary increase push.

As earlier reported, KMPDU addressed a notice of strike to the national government should it turn a blind eye to their salary increment demands.

Atellah said the current cost of living continues to have a toll on his colleagues, stating that a salary commensurate with the economic status quo would suffice.

He said the passing of the Finance Bill 2023, which culminated in the new finance law, will have adverse effects on doctors and other medical practitioners, thus the need for an upward review of their salaries.

"In the Finance Act 2023, 52% of our salaries would go to tax. And as such, the NEC of the union has resolved to demand a salary increase for doctors across the country...The last time doctors had a change in their salaries was in 2016.

It has been seven years and today we can confidently say that more than 40% of our salaries have reduced based on the cost of commodities in 2016 and today," said Atellah .