Doctors decry slow pace of talks

Kenyan doctors are concerned at the slow pace of talks with the government meant to avert a national strike slated for December 5.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union said Thursday the government was dragging it’s feet in kick-starting negotiations.

The union boss Boniface Chitayi said so far, they had only met officials of the Ministry of Medical Services and nothing substantial emerged out of the Tuesday meeting.

“In any case we consider this to be a very low-level meeting because there were no representatives from the ministry of Finance that draws up the government budget,” said Dr Chitayi.

However, on Monday the union officials had met Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o and agreed to start the negotiations. (READ: Doctors hold crisis talks to avert strike)

“All that we have done so far is to furnish the officials with our proposals,” Dr Chitayi said.

He noted that unless an inclusive meeting, with Ministry of Finance was called they would start mobilising their members at the grassroots to prepare for the strike.

“We are now going to talk to our branch members all over the country to prepare for the strike.”

Officials at the Ministries of Health and Medical Services were reported to have been holed up in a day-long meeting meant to provide a solution to the looming crisis.

The 2,300 doctors in Kenya’s public hospitals issued a 19-day strike notice on Saturday in Nairobi during a special delegates conference.

According to law, employees should issue a seven-day notice before embarking on a strike.

But the doctors said they had issued a longer notice “because their services are very critical and would mean life and death to many patients in the hospitals".

They are demanding for a 300 per cent salary increase and creation of new allowances of hardship and risk in their payslips.