The already haphazard hospital situation might grow from the current worse to worst if the current situation is not solved according to private hospital doctors.
The doctors have now given a threat to shut down all clinical services in private, mission and public health facilities for 24 hours next Tuesday if no deal will have been reached by Monday, December 12 mid night.
The doctors are now on their third day of the strike following the delay in implementation of concerning a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed on June 27, 2013 and effective July 1, 2013.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), in a statement to newsrooms, gave the government upto Jamhuri Day (Monday) ultimatum to resolve the issues raised by the unions failure to which they will paralyse all the medical services.
“Given no solution by Monday 12th December 2016, KMPDU will call for a 24 hour complete stoppage of all clinical services in all private hospitals, private clinics, and mission hospitals on Tuesday 13th December 2016,” read the statement in part.
Doctors blame government for foiled talks
The talks to end te strike were twice frustrated with doctors blaming the government officials for failure to come into a consensus.
“Talks have been called without proper communication and with the intent of blackmailing the union. We have remained willing to engage the government in good faith to no avail.”
“The KMPDU team have been belittled and even disrespected by their counterparts from the government,” they added.
“KMPDU remains very sympathetic to the suffering public and calls on all citizens to join in pushing the government to quickly end the stalemate.”
Talks between the doctors’ and nurses’ unions and the government have failed more than thrice with the medical staff walking out in protest.The doctors blame the government .
The doctors blame the government for threatening them with lawsuits, adding that the only way to solve the current situation is by fully implementing the 2013 CBA agreement.