4,000 Doctors in Kenya on Strike, Leaving Many Patients Neglected
The Kenyan Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) have gone on strike, demanding comprehensive health insurance coverage for doctors and pressuring the government to add 1,200 medical interns due to the severe shortage of healthcare professionals.
According to Dr. Davji Bhimji, Secretary-General of the KMPDU, there are currently 4,000 doctors participating in the strike. Dr. Dennis Miskellah, Deputy Secretary-General of the trade union, also stated that they would ignore court orders, just as the government had disregarded three court orders to increase basic salaries for doctors.
Image source: The Independent
Dr. Miskellah highlighted that medical interns make up 27% of the workforce in public hospitals in Kenya, and their absence results in patients being denied treatment. However, some doctors continue to work and care for patients undergoing treatment in specialized wards.
In an interview with a local television station, Dr. Miskellah revealed that some doctors have resorted to suicide due to work-related pressure, while others have had to crowdfund their medical treatment due to the lack of comprehensive health insurance.
The strike is having a severe impact across the country, with many patients being neglected in hospitals or being refused treatment by public hospitals throughout Kenya. Pauline Wanjiru, a Kenyan citizen, shared how she took her 12-year-old son for treatment of a leg wound, only to be turned away by a hospital in Kakamega County in western Kenya. The wound worsened, and she was unable to provide proper care at home.
In 2017, doctors in public hospitals in Kenya organized a 100-day strike, the longest in the country’s history, to demand increased salaries and upgrades to the deteriorating public healthcare facilities. They also called for the government to train and hire more doctors to address the severe healthcare workforce shortage in the country.
At that time, public sector doctors were trained for six years at the university and earned a basic salary ranging from $400 to $850 per month, equivalent to the salary of a police officer who undergoes only six months of training. This disparity has discouraged many students from choosing a career in medicine, contributing to the critical shortage of healthcare professionals in Kenya.
As the strike continues, the healthcare system remains in crisis, and the government must take swift action to address the demands of doctors and ensure that patients receive the care they desperately need.