Nairobi doctors demonstrate over NHIF

Nairobi Medics [Photo: The Star]

Doctors in Nairobi County today demonstrated outside Governor Johnson Sakaja’s office.

Led by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union Nairobi Branch Secretary – Malindi Chao, the medics say they will not be attending to any patients until their demands are met by the county government.

According to Chao, Nairobi locals will have to seek healthcare services elsewhere.

“Today, we want to present this petition to the county assembly about this [sic] NHIF, we want to give it to the county clerk so that they help us fight this war. It seems someone is sleeping on the job.

We have had no cover since 4th of February, and even before that, we did not have a cover. We were actually given a brief cover for like two weeks, and then NHIF suspended the cover,” said Chao.

As we speak, we are not in hospitals, we are here to picket for our rights. Imagine we are giving a service which ourselves cannot get it. We have doctors who are in hospitals as we speak, they are being detained because of bills that we cannot pay,” she added.

This is even as Governor Sakaja says the issue of medical cover for former NMS staff has been addressed.

He says the National Government will soon formally sign the deed of Novation for NHIF to be in contract with Nairobi City County Government.

The doctors have also decried lack of salary adjustments, creation of call rooms, posting of medical interns and employment of jobless graduates, among others.

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