The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU) has officially agreed to the terms outlined in the return-to-work formula agreement, marking the end of the nationwide doctors’ strike, as announced by the Ministry of Health.
“After 56 days, KMPDU signs agreement, ending nationwide doctors’ strike,” stated the Ministry of Health.
Following the signing of the return-to-work agreement, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah confirmed the cessation of the doctors’ strike.
“After a lengthy meeting today with the National Advisory Council, which is the highest decision-making organ, they have endorsed the signing of this return-to-work formula today, facilitating the return of doctors to work within the next 24 hours,” he said.
“This signifies the end of the strike that commenced on March 13.”
Atellah mentioned that while the government emphasized the need for doctors’ trust, a fundamental issue regarding the posting of interns remained unresolved.
“We have chosen to trust the government’s assurance for the final time. However, one critical issue concerning the posting of doctor interns remains unsettled,” Atellah explained.
He elaborated that the disagreement revolved around the timing of intern postings, with the union advocating for immediate placements in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), while the government proposed waiting for court rulings before finalizing the agreement.
“At present, all doctor interns will experience a slight delay as we have agreed to a 60-day postponement of their placements. Nevertheless, discussions regarding this matter will continue,” he added.
Atellah reassured doctors that the union remains committed to safeguarding their rights as outlined in the CBA.
Earlier, doctors had expressed their readiness to adhere to court directives to negotiate a return-to-work arrangement with the government within 48 hours.
Initially, the union had declined to comply with court orders issued on March 13 to suspend the strike, citing government non-compliance with previous orders.
Since March 14, the strike had disrupted services across public health facilities, with doctors demanding full implementation of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Their demands included resolving 19 issues, notably the salary of medical interns set at 206,000 Kenyan shillings per month.
Of these concerns, six pertained to county administrations, nine to the national government, and four to both levels of government.
Despite the government’s offer of a monthly stipend of 70,000 Kenyan shillings, the doctors had rejected it.
Even as the government proposed a new allocation of 6.1 billion Kenyan shillings to address the doctors’ demands, the striking medics remained firm on their stance until the contentious matter of intern placements was addressed.
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