Doctors’ union blames Nyong’o for stalemate

Doctors have accused Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o of “arrogance and chest-thumping” in handling their strike, and appealed to President Kibaki and Prime minister Raila Odinga to end the stalemate.

“For a doctors’ strike to be allowed to go on for more than 13 days while no single government official has met the union to officially end this stalemate clearly portrays (the lack) of leadership at the Ministry of Medical Services ... This reinforces the need for urgent reforms,” said the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union.

Chairman Victor Ng’ani said consultants, who were offering minimum services in public hospitals, would officially join the strike.

He was addressing a press conference in Nairobi. Secretary-general Were Onyino and treasurer Wambui Waithaka were also present.

In a press statement read by Dr Onyino, the union officials said: “The doctors’ strike has never been declared illegal or unprotected by the court and the Medical Services ministry has no business stopping salaries or suspending our members.”

The union officials dared the Medical Services ministry to sack the striking doctors as it has threatened and desist from resorting to “cheap intimidation tactics” to end the impasse. (Read: State halts salaries of striking doctors)

Dr Onyino said the payment that the doctors were demanding from the government amounted to Sh400 million.

“We are ready to call off the strike if the government implements the return-to-work proposal and ensures that the collective bargaining process is kick-started,” Dr Onyino added.

Dr Ng’ani accused the Medical Services ministry of failing to send representatives to attend the hearing of an arbitration case at the Industrial Court on Tuesday. (Read: Striking doctors blame State for impasse)

Cosmetic service

On Monday, Prof Nyong’o, while addressing a press conference at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), said that although he was earlier open to talks to end the strike, “dialogue can only take place in court”.

He announced that 25 out of 127 government-sponsored registrars had resumed duty at the KNH and asked others to follow suit.

The minister insisted that there was no budget allocation to meet the payment of a Sh92,000 monthly stipend demanded by self-sponsored registrars.

However, Dr Ng’ani said the “cosmetic service” that the consultant doctors continued to offer at KNH was leading to more deaths of patients while others failed to make it to public hospitals.