We will keep fighting for better healthcare

This week, Dr WAMBUI WAITHAKA, national treasurer of the union representing medical practitioners, fields questions from readers.

MUSA ADAM, Mombasa: Late last year you staged a major strike under the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), and the union later signed an agreement with the government. What’s the position now?

The KMPDU called off the doctor’s strike after signing a return to work formula with the Government of Kenya.

We formed a task force which has already presented its recommendations to the government.

The payment of extraneous allowances has been done halfway, while some doctors are yet to be paid their emergency call allowances.

The government has not employed the 200 doctors it promised to, while the dismissal of Dr Onyimbo Kerama remains outstanding.

We demand that the government cease to treat health care delivery as a “back-burner” sector and treat it as a priority.

This consists of improving the welfare of doctors; retaining them in public service and attracting doctors to the public service, increasing the number and quality of health facilities, providing appropriate equipment, medicines, physical resources, facilities and staff.

JOHN KIMUTAI, via e-mail: There have been media reports that the government failed to honour its agreement? Please elaborate.

The doctors honoured their side of the agreement and returned to work. The government has only honoured some parts of its agreement.

MICHAEL MWANGI, Nairobi: Compare Kenyan doctor’s pay with those of other African countries.

South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Egypt and Rwanda have benefited from the brain drain of Kenyan doctors as their pay is four to eight times higher than that of Kenya doctors. However, the Kenyan situation is similar to countries in East Africa.

Is there any chance that doctors will go on strike again?

As long as no tangible steps are taken towards reforming the health services sector in Kenya, we should remain prepared for another humanitarian crisis.

SUE NJOROGE, Nairobi: Why didn’t you wait for the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to review and adjust your salaries accordingly rather than strike?

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission, which at the time of the strike was yet to be constituted, is an advisory body for the government.

Before the SRC acts on any documents given to them, the employer and the employee must come up with a document in which both parties are in agreement.

Our employer, when approached to create such a document, met us with silence and lack of good will. We were left with no choice but to use industrial action.

MICHAEL MAKOKHA, Eldoret: What is the feeling of your members to the human suffering that doctor’s strike do subject to Kenyans?