KMPDU calls off intended strike

Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) Secretary General, Dr. Davji Attellah. [Boniface Okendo,Standard]

The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) has suspended its intended 30-day strike that was to kick off on Friday, January 6, 2023.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, the union's Secretary General, Dr. Davji Attellah, stated that the decision was informed by positive outcomes of consultations with the government to resolve the stalemate.

“Over the last one month, we are grateful for the efforts shown by the government and the acknowledgement by President William Ruto and the Ministry of Health…who took time to engage the union in a bid to resolve the very issues including employment of doctors across the country,” Attellah said.

The doctors had threatened to withdraw services if their 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) demands were not met.

Attellah said while the discussions had yet to reach a conclusion, the union was willing to give dialogue a chance in order to spare Kenyans the agony of seeking health care.

“We as a union do not intend in any way to take Kenyans back to that pain and frustration. We understand that healthcare is a sacred human right that must not be denied to any person especially at their time of most need. However, doctors too need to be supported, to be skilled and to be motivate to provide that much needed service and relief at the point of most vulnerability,” he said.

“We know that doctors have gone through pain waiting time and again for these issues to be resolved but we are intentional that we must exhaust all available mechanisms, even an iota of goodwill, so that a strike becomes the last resort.”

However, the Secretary-General stated that the union's willingness to engage in dialogue must be proportionate to the government's willingness to fulfill its promises within 60 days.

Basic salary adjustments, creation of call rooms, posting of medical interns, employment of more doctors and provision of working tools were among the unmet grievances highlighted by KMPDU.