Ruto meets KMPDU officials days after doctors called off the strike
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Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMDPU) holds a meeting with President Ruto at State House, Nairobi after calling off doctors strike
Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMDPU) holds a meeting with President Ruto at State House, Nairobi after calling off doctors strike.
The union officials met the president on Saturday, May 11, days after ending the nationwide strike that had lasted for 56 days.
According to an official statement, the aim of the meeting was to address the challenges that informed the strike that paralyzed services in public hospitals, thus frustrating the government’s Universal Health Coverage plan.
“The government will continually engage stakeholders in the health sector, including health workers’ unions, to promote industrial harmony and long-lasting solutions to the challenges,” said the president.
On their part, the KMPDU officials, led by secretary general Davji Atellah and his deputy Dennis Miskellah, restated their commitment to championing and their support the UHC programme, and further backing the rolling out of social health insurance to all Kenyans.
Others in the meeting were Health of Public Service Felix Kosgei, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha, and Principal Secretary in the State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni.
This came days after KMPDU and the two tiers of the government -county and national- realized a deal to end their strike.
In a statement on Wednesday, May 8, the Ministry of Health said KMPDU officials have signed a return to work agreement with the government.
“After 56 days, KMPDU signs agreement, ending nationwide doctors’ strike,” the Ministry said in a statement.
The agreement between the doctors and the government comes after the Employment and Labour Relations Court ordered the two sides to come up with a return-to-work formula within 48 hours.
The doctors downed their tools on March 14 paralyzing service provision in public health facilities across the country.
The health workers demanded the implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) conceived in 2017 and the posting of medical interns to hospitals.
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KMPDU officials held long-running negotiations with government officials with the biggest stalemate being the Sh 70,000 monthly stipend the government offered to medical interns.
The union officials rejected the offer demanding that the government pay medical interns Sh 206,000 monthly as agreed in the 2017 CBA.
In the return-to-work agreement, the national government agreed to clear outstanding salary arrears of doctors employed by the national government within the next financial year while counties would settle the balances in five years with effect from July 1, 2024.
On medical internship, the two sides agreed to conclude negotiations within 60 days. However, the government will not post any medical personnel until the negotiations are concluded.
On payment of postgraduate fees arrears, KMPDU and the government agreed that the balances be immediately settled.
The government also agreed to employ 2,000 additional doctors from the financial year 2025/26 and thereafter establish a policy for annual recruitment and placement of medical doctors, Pharmacists, and Dentists in accordance with the staffing norms and standards, fiscal management policies, and existing legal framework.
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