Medics and interns have petitioned the Meru county assembly to push Governor Kawira Mwangaza to address their grievances.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union Eastern region chairman Denis Mugambi said the health crisis would continue if their 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement is not implemented.
Mugambi led other union leaders and hundreds of interns and medics in sit-ins and protest marches within Makutano and Meru towns. There was tight security.
Some of the grievances the medics want resolved include employment on permanent and pensionable terms, posting of interns and remittance of insurance funds.
Meru assembly speaker Ayub Bundi castigated the county executive, saying Meru people should not be subjected to suffering despite availability of funds at the county treasury.
"Doctors are the most important people in our daily lives. If there are people who should be heavily protected, it is medics. People are suffering, bearing in mind we have the cancer menace that has become a very big issue in Meru. Every parent's prayers and dreams is having a child who is a doctor. I have presented the petition to the house so that it will be looked at for further action," Bundi said.
Abogeta West MCA DMK Kiogora accused Governor Mwangaza administration of poor priorities.
"We have voted to abolish the One Cow One Needy Family programme, so that we use the money for employment of medics. We do not need cows while having a crisis in the health sector. I condemn the governor for rejecting employment of 255 health sector personnel, claiming there was no budget," Kiogora said.
The doctors held their peaceful demonstrations in solidarity with their colleagues in Nairobi and vowed not to relent until their demands are met.