Kakamega County Government has struck a 'deal' with doctors to avert the looming shutdown of medical services from next week
Governor Fernandes Barasa hosted officials of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KPMDU)- Western Kenya branch and pledged action on the doctors’ raft of demands ahead of their intended strike set to begin this Sunday.
Speaking at a media briefing, the Governor, who was accompanied by union chairman Joseph Makomere and Health CECM Bernard Wesonga, allayed fears of disruption of healthcare services following the deal.
KMPDU had cited poor working conditions, career stagnation and failure by the administration to remit timely statutory dues and other obligations as they fall due
Residents of Kakamega were staring at shut shutdown of medical services in public hospitals if doctors downed tools.
In a statement that was realised on November 23, 2023, at KMPDU, Western branch, the doctors had vowed to take industrial action if the county government does not address their demands.
According to KMPDU, the county government only promoted 24 doctors after they threatened to go on strike on August 14 to job group N, but three doctors were left out.
“There was shortlisting of doctors (24 medical officers and 6 pharmacists), for the interviews to take place on October 17 and 18. There were five vacancies for replacement for medical officers and one for a pharmacist. Why is their employment still pending,” the statement read in part.
They also demanded that the county fast-track the promotion of five doctors to job group Q (assistant director of medical services), arguing that the deadline for application was on September 22, but shortlisting has not been done.
