Consumers getting impatient with doctors, government standoff

Doctors in public hospitals went on strike in early December.

It is now six weeks since they paralysed services in public hospitals demanding better working conditions.

But the toll on the poor and vulnerable Kenyans who have often sought medical help from these facilities has been outrageous.

Kenyans had expected the crisis to be resolved as fast as possible given that the parties involved; the government side on one hand and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) on the other, had shown readiness to negotiate.

But all these episodes have been just as frustrating and there is little sign the strike will be over soon. 

The result of negotiations for the past six weeks have been both painful and shameful as both sides blame each other for not honouring commitments.

So, who is to blame? Consumers of public health care demand uninterrupted services given they pay taxes to these doctors.

We are frustrated that public health facilities are now mostly ghost towns as many Kenyans suffer at the feet of two elephants – KMPDU and the government.

The doctors have argued theirs is a heavy workload with poor pay and in uncomfortable conditions.

INTIMIDATION
Looking at figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), they may have a point.

A doctor here serves about 17,000 patients, against WHO’s recommendation of one doctor for 1,000 people.

The medical professionals have argued that they presented their grievances to the government in 2013 after which a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was reached.

This week, the Employment and Labour Relations Court said the CBA had no legal basis, ordered doctors to call off the strike and complete negotiations within two weeks or else be jailed.

Doctors though say this was intimidation and won’t call it off yet.

Interestingly, the doctors say they would rather be incarcerated than return to work on any offer outside the magic CBA.

Consumers want this impasse resolved with haste. Consumers also demand honesty from parties involved.

Though the CBA has now been diluted with that court decision, the government has done little to get the trust of medics on whether or not it means well in the negotiations.

Both the national and county governments have applied unnecessary intimidation.

They have threatened to fire them and threatened to have them jailed.

Recently, it was rumoured the government would replace them with expatriates, a development Health CS Cleopa Mailu later denied.

But even if it were true, it would turn out to be a more expensive venture.

A basic medical degree holder working as a resident doctor in India, one of the countries where the government was alleged to source the expats, earns a minimum of 60,000 Indian Rupees (about Sh91,000).

Their specialists start from Sh300,000. If they were to be shipped here, would they accept a pay cut? How many would they be?

RESOLVE MATTER
Doctors seem reluctant to call off the strike perhaps in a bid to avoid suffering the fate of the teachers.

In September 2015, the government declined to pay teachers’ salaries, stopped remittance of statutory deductions for teachers and sat on unions’ dues to potentially arm-twist them to call off their five weeks strike.

The strike, which paralysed public schools for five weeks, only came to an end after an Industrial Court ordered teachers back to class.

But the same teachers had secured a previous court directive ordering the government to increase their pay by between 50 and 60 per cent – which the government declined to honour.

In an unprecedented move, teachers last year announced they won’t strike again for four years.

But it is only after the Teachers Service Commission agreed to a deal that resolved much of what had caused them to refuse to work.

Doctors are much more important because they handle lives.

Consumers expect their union to compromise and cede some ground.

But we also demand that the government takes responsibility to guide the country out of this crisis.

Mr Mutoro is secretary general, Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek)