Doctors from the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) have resumed their strike after a meeting with the ministry of health, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, and officials from the KMPDU failed to end the ongoing healthcare impasse.
KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atella has called on medical interns to escalate their strike actions, emphasizing that the fight for their rights should be stronger than last year’s demonstrations.
Speaking during a protest outside Afya house , Atella reminded the interns of the resilience shown by their predecessors, who staged a 56-day strike and rejected what he termed as “useless letters.”
“Public servants, including doctors, have been enjoying comprehensive medical cover for years. But after SHA replaced NHIF, this cover disappeared. This was not a privilege,” Attellah said.
The doctors are protesting over issues related to unpaid salaries, poor working conditions, and delayed internship postings.
The meeting, which brought together stakeholders such as the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), KMPDU, and United Kingdom Community Servers (UKCS), was expected to address the plight of 8,571 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff and a five-year-old healthcare crisis.
According to officials from UHC, the parties involved in the meeting failed to reach an agreement, forcing the workers to continue with the strike.
Meanwhile, hospital services continue to struggle, placing further strain on healthcare delivery nationwide. As efforts to resolve the crisis persist, the government has requested 21 days to address the workers’ demands.