Kenyan doctors call off strike

Doctors in Kenya on Monday evening called off their strike following a deal with the government.

The agreement with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) entails a salary increase, which will be effected in two phases, with the first coming into effect this month and the other in July next year.

Details of the government’s offer could not be immediately ascertained on Monday night. (SEE IN PICTURES: Kenyan doctors on strike)

The government also promised to set up a taskforce, comprising six doctors and six government representatives  in a week’s time to look into the health practitioners’ grievances.

The taskforce is expected to present a report to the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in 11 days.

The deal was thrashed out in a closed-door meeting attended by Ministry of Health officials and chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta from 3pm until late in the evening.

Union secretary-general Boniface Chitayi said the government also committed itself to making available Sh200 million for training and Sh85 to settle debts, Sh54 million for medical personnel currently in training and a further Sh61 million for other training needs.

“Emergency call allowances will also be made available with immediate effect,” Dr Chitayi said.

The government will also hire 200 new doctors to ease the load on the over-stretched team at the public hospitals. “The parties have agreed to negotiate in good faith,” Dr Chitayi said.

“This agreement also nullifies any form of victimisation for the doctors,” the union boss added.

Earlier on Monday, President Kibaki had directed Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno to find a solution to the strike, which has disrupted services at hospitals across Kenya.

President Kibaki issued the directive in his Jamhuri Day address. (READ: Kibaki urges striking doctors to resume work)

He asked Mr Otieno to work with “all those involved” in finding a solution to the one-week-old strike.

“We need doctors in the hospitals to attend to the many Kenyans needing medical attention on daily basis. I direct the Minister for Public Service and all those involve in finding a solution,” he said.

Strikes are handled by the Labour ministry, the workers’ unions involved and the Judiciary, whose industrial division would also handle related court cases.

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga urged the striking doctors and pharmacists to return to work pending negotiations.

Mr Odinga asked doctors to sit at the negotiating table and “talk as Kenyans”, an allusion for them to consider the current economic circumstances.