Resident doctors at Aga Khan Hospital show support for striking counterparts

Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union leaders arrive at Afya House on December 7, 2016 for talks with Ministry of Health officials to help resolve the ongoing Doctors’ strike. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • According to the hospital, operations were not completely paralysed.
  • The hospital also said that it had put in place contingency measures to respond to increasing number of patients seeking care at the facility.
  • But a resident doctor at the private hospital said it was not business as usual at the facility.

Resident doctors at the Aga Khan University Hospital have withdrawn their services for 24 hours in support of their striking colleagues in public facilities.

However, the hospital insisted that the residents had not joined the strike that has been going on for the last 17 days contrary to what the residents say.

“Everything is operational at the hospitals but the residents joined their colleagues to march to the Ministry of Health in solidarity,” said a source at the hospital.

According to the hospital, operations were not completely paralysed.

“Patients are our priority. Our team of medical professionals, faculty and staff are committed to working together to ensure that normal services are provided to our patients during the ongoing industry unrest,” read a statement from the hospital.

The hospital also said that it had put in place contingency measures to respond to increasing number of patients seeking care at the facility.

“However, provision of services may take slightly longer than usual,” it added.

But a resident doctor at the private hospital who requested not to be quoted said it was not business as usual at the facility.

According to the source, both residents and house officers who perform most of the work and cover the hospital’s casualty department.

“Let it be clear that services at the hospital have been slowed because we are the ones who do most of the work round the clock and by withdrawing our services, the hospital staff are thin,” said the source.

Meanwhile, Dr Abdi Mohamed who chairs the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH) maintained that whereas private owned clinics may be shut, majority of the private hospitals are still functioning.