Nyamira doctors issue strike notice over promotions

Doctors in Nyamira have issued a strike notice citing failure by the county government to honour its pledge of promotions.

Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) County branch officials have vowed to go ahead with the strike if no steps are taken in two week time by Governor John Nyagarama to resolve the issue..

“We have raised this issue with those concerned but all we get are empty promises. We have only given 14 days as a window to enable dialogue but if nothing comes forth we will move forward with our strike,” said Dr Lamech Omweri who is also the KMPDU chairman Nyanza region.

He said past meetings to iron the issue have failed to yield results.

“We have been called to one meeting after another with hope that the issue will be solved amicably but to no avail. We now hope they will get our message faster when services are withdrawn,” Dr Omweri said.

He said only a handful doctors were promoted in the last few years.

“We find this absurd and a source of demotivation to the doctors,” said Omweri.

The union official further pressed the county to employee more doctors saying the 58 currently in service are not enough to serve the growing population.

He said many of those working currently were being overworked due to lack of enough staff.

The call for a strike in Nyamira comes two days after their counterparts in Machakos also announced strike from Monday next week over delay in pay and failure to remit statutory and non-statutory deductions.

Union officials said the doctors have for the past five months been receiving their pay between 15th and 20th of every month although they had signed an agreement with the County government to be receiving their pay by 5th of every month.