• He said some doctors are on antidepressants because of the workload.
• Ali said public hospitals are discharging patients and they are not receiving new patients.
Image: FILE
Doctors in Mombasa county have joined a nationwide medics strike that started on Thursday.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacist and Dentist Union-Mombasa branch secretary general Ghalib Salim Ali said all doctors will stay away until the national government listens to their pleas.
"At the moment, our hands are tied. Our doctors are going through so many challenges and interns have not been posted, yet we have a staff shortage,” he said.
He said some doctors are on antidepressants because of the workload.
Ali said public hospitals are discharging patients and they are not receiving new patients.
“If you check on our demands, what we are fighting for is also for the benefit of the county governments. We are fighting for governors yet they are busy engaging in corruption. It is high time the governors pull up their socks. As doctors, we demand dignity,” he said.
This came after a week of push and pull between the national government and the doctors in public hospitals.
They doctors are demanding promotions and the recruitment of 3,759 interns.
Patients are now pleading with the national government to alleviate their suffering by resolving the issues with the doctors.
Mariam Kazungu, a mother whose son is suffering from pneumonia, said she does not have enough money to take her child to a private hospital.
“My child was diagnosed with pneumonia on Monday, so I have been bringing him to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital for treatment but now we are told doctors are on strike. This is really going to affect those of us who cannot afford treatment at private hospitals,” she said.
“The government should have mercy on us and resolve their issues with doctors because when you visit these hospitals, people are helpless and in pain. We need these doctors to save their lives.”
At Naivasha Subcounty Hospital operations continued uninterrupted on Thursday.
There were, however, fears that services in the wards would be affected as some of the doctors at the facility joined the strike.
Operations were continuing normally at the outpatient wing, with clinicians and interns taking care of the patients. Some patients had travelled from the neighbouring Nyandarua county.
Superintendent in charge Dr Bernard Warui said some doctors had not reported on duty.
He said the effects of the strike would be known better later in the day after reviewing the number of patients treated and admitted.
“At the moment, services at the outpatient wing are running smoothly despite some of the doctors joining the strike. We hope the situation shall be resolved,” Dr Warui said.
A medic at the facility, who did not want to be named, said the effects of the strike were yet to be felt as clinicians and contract doctors were treating patients.
The medic, however, warned that the patients in the wards would be the first to feel the effects of the strike as the doctors were supposed to examine and review their conditions.
“All is well in the outpatient wing but the problem will start when patients are referred to the wards or theatre for specialised treatment,” he said.
Simon Gitau, whose relative is admitted in the women ward, said services were being delayed due to the low number of doctors on duty.
“My sister who is admitted says that a doctor has seen her once since Wednesday evening due to the strike and we fear for her health,” he said.