State halts salaries of striking doctors

The government has stopped salaries of all striking doctors in public hospitals as the crisis in the health sector continues. Read (Striking doctors blame State for impasse)

Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o said the doctors who were on “illegal strike” are not entitled to salaries.

“A salary is not a gift, its is earned and that is why those who are not on duty will not receive it,” Prof Nyong’o said during a press conference held at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

But, Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union chairman, Dr Victor Ng’ani said the move by the ministry will make the union to introduce pay demands.

“If the Government fails to release the salaries of doctors, the union will have no alternative but to introduce pay increase demands,” Dr Ng’ani said.

Dr Ng’ani accused the government of failing to respond to their proposals on a return-to-work deal sent by their mediator Kenya Medical Association (KMA) on Friday saying the strike will continue.

On his part, KMA chairman, Dr Elly Nyaim faulted the government for adopting a “hard-line stance” by failing to respond to the proposals.

“The perception by the government that its 'winning’ on the strike impasse is wrong and does not augur well to the suffering patients," he said.

“The government should stop buying time since the union is ready to dialogue (to end the strike)” he added.

However, Prof Nyong’o while fielding questions from journalists said “although he was open to talks on ending the strike, dialogue can now only take place in court”.

Prof Nyong’o announced that 25 out of 127 government sponsored registrars had resumed duty at KNH and asked others to follow suit.

He lauded medics who were providing services at the hospital for “their patriotism”.

Prof Nyong’o, who was flanked by KNH chief executive Richard Lesiyampe and other hospital managers announced that the government had upgraded KNH from a parastatal category 3C to 7A to be in the same grade as Kenya Pipeline, Kenya Civil Aviation and National Hospital Insurance Fund.

“This means that the salary, allowances and other benefits of the workers at the country’s main referral hospital are set to be increased soon,” Prof Nyong’o added.

The minister clarified that Sh1.9 billion which had been released by the Treasury was for the payment of pending extraneous allowance for workers at KNH and Moi Referral Hospital in Eldoret.

“The failure to release money on time was an oversight by the Treasury,” Prof Nyong’o added.

Prof Nyong’o insisted that their was no budget allocation to meet the payment of a Sh92,000 monthly stipend demand by self-sponsored registrars.

“Some proposals made by the striking doctors over implementation of the Musyimi taskforce report have been met by my ministry but others are long-term policy issues which are not instantaneous and will require a Cabinet memo,” the minister added.

In their proposal, the striking doctors had recommended the formation of a sub-committee to covert a taskforce report on improvement of health infrastructure into a policy paper and the absorption of self-sponsored trainee doctors’ known as registrars into government.

They had also recommended that the Auditor-General and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission investigates the whereabouts of Sh200 million that was released to universities to train post-graduate doctors but allegedly never reached the recipients.

Dr Ng’ani said the money was released in January and approved for use in the Finance Bill in May yet the universities had not received a cent.

He explained that the money was supposed to pay for the doctors’ fees and the balance used to clear debts owed to the learning institutions that have accumulated since the 1990s.

The striking doctors are demanding the reinstatement of 393 registrars who were suspended by Medical Services ministry and the payment of a Sh92,000 monthly stipend to privately sponsored registrars.

The strike has paralysed services in public hospitals with patients bearing the brunt of the strike as operations remain below capacity with only consultants attending to patients.