Return to work or face the sack, governors tell striking doctors

Governors have told doctors to return to work by tomorrow or face disciplinary action.

The Council of Governors (CoG) said yesterday doctors who defy the directive will get letters to show cause why they should not be sacked.

Meru Governor and CoG chairman Peter Munya told the doctors failure to resume work would lead to disciplinary action, probable dismissal and their jobs would be advertised by counties.

By Monday, the council had prepared a draft of job vacancies, seen by the Nation, for about nine posts — medical officers, dental officers, pharmacists and medical specialists, among others — that stated that applications could be sent via email and were “open to international candidates”.

Addressing journalists in Nairobi after a meeting with officials from the Health ministry, the governors said counties would not pay any doctor absent from duty without a lawful reason.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), shortly after this announcement, took to their Twitter page @Kmpdu and stated: “Dear Kenyans, it’s unfortunate that the county governments’ solution to ending this 36 days strike is by firing doctors. Highly regrettable.”

Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu on Monday maintained he was willing to end the impasse that would see the doctors go back to work.

He urged them to reconsider their position as the national and county governments had given them a “reasonable offer” that would translate to a 40 per cent increase in their salaries.

REVIEW OF SALARIES

The minister said it was impossible for the government to implement the 2013 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that doctors are demanding and which would see a review of their salaries, improved working conditions and other benefits.

Both the minister and State House have said the CBA had been rendered defective on October 6, 2016 by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and the courts.

The strike was declared illegal and the doctors will on Tuesday appear in court to answer to charges of defying the court order.

Mr Munya added that devolution was not to blame for the industrial action in the health sector.

“We have nothing to do with the strike or the CBA that the doctors are demanding. Therefore, stop linking devolution of health services to the strike.”

He further said the practice of the national government posting doctors had ended and counties will now be advertising vacancies for doctors.

This means that doctors who have graduated will have to apply for the jobs, a move that is likely to affect nearly 700 medical students who graduated recently and were to be posted by the national government but will now have to wait for counties to advertise available jobs.

The governors also said not all doctors were on strike. They cited Marsabit, Bomet, Nakuru, Lamu, Garissa and Tana River as counties where most doctors are still working.