Doctors
Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth has called on the government to offer reasonable solutions to doctors to entice them to return to work so as to resolve the health crisis facing public hospitals. Kenneth said it was disheartening for both the government and the doctors to hold a hard stance, yet patients cannot access medical services and others are dying in their homes as they cannot afford treatment at private hospitals.
Speaking during the burial of a local farmer in Gatanga, Murang’a County today, Kenneth who was accompanied by Gatanga MP Edward Muriu said the government should offer leadership and have a sitting with doctors and resolve the impasse.
“Many Kenyans are dying in their homes for lack of medical services. The two factions should drop their hardline stand and resolve the impasse through negotiations. Show some seriousness in addressing the doctors’ pay,” he said.
Muriu on his part called on doctors to take the government’s offer and get back to work saying the country does not have enough money to give in to the doctors’ demands.
He said if the government offers to pay intern doctors their demand, all other sectors will demand a pay rise which will sink the economy into a huge wage bill.
“If the government gives in and pays intern doctors their demand of over Sh200, 000 monthly, every other civil servant will ask for a pay rise including the police, MPs among others. Where will the government fund this? Drop those demands and return to work?” posed Muriu.
On threats by some Governors to sack the striking doctors, Muriu said it is the wrong approach and amounts to high-handedness. “Threats to sack the striking doctors is not the solution. You need dialogue and give them reasonable proposals, otherwise, if you sack them, where will you get their replacements?” he posed.
The doctor’s strike has today entered the fifth week with no end in sight as both the government and the medical professionals maintained hardline stances. The government said it will not budge on its offer to pay intern medical doctors Sh70,000 stipend per month while the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) said they will accept nothing less than the pledges contained in their 2017 CBA.