Doctors return to work after fruitful pay negotiation
Silver Auma waits for a doctor to attend to her daughter at Nakuru Level five Hospital on March 15, 2017. Doctors have called of their strike and have returned to work. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- In Naivasha, the medics returned to work on Monday.
Dr Mburu said the county government committed to pay the medical personnel, hence the decision to call of the strike.
Doctors who had gone on strike in Nakuru and Naivasha demanding to be paid their outstanding salaries during the period they were on strike have resumed duty.
In Nakuru, the doctors resumed work after the county government agreed to release the salaries for the five months by end of May.
PATIENTS TREATED
A spot check at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital showed that all services had resumed, including treatment for patients seeking specialised attention.
The outpatient section was characterized by long queues.
In Naivasha, the medical superintendent in charge of Naivasha Sub County Hospital, Joseph Mburu, said the medics returned to work on Monday.
DOCTORS MAKE DEMAND
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentist Union (KMPDU) South Rift Secretary Davji Atellah said operations were back to normal in all public hospitals.
"We agreed to return to work on condition that the pay slips for the five months will be out by May 19," the told Nation on Thursday.
HONOUR PAY DEAL
Although they were yet to be paid, he said, the first assurance will be the release of their pay slip on Friday.
Dr Mburu said the county government committed to pay the medical personnel, hence the decision to call of the strike.
"We are operating at full capacity and normal service are going on as normal," he said.
He expressed hope that the county government would honour its pledge to avoid further disruptions.
"We retuned purely on goodwill and we are hoping our dues will be settled soonest," a medic said.
MATERNITY
Naivasha Sub County is one of the busiest health facilities within the county, serving a wide catchment, including part of the vast Nyandarua County.
The maternity department at the hospital records an average of 600 deliveries a month, 15 per cent of which involve caesarean section.
The facility is also located on the accident-prone Nairobi-Nakuru highway and flower firms where majority of the workers are women.
