As the fifteenth day of the doctor's strike approaches, there are no indications that the ongoing work stoppage will end anytime soon because worries about the state of patients throughout Kenya are still being voiced.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacist, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has accused the government of needing to be more compassionate in addressing its predicament despite efforts to break the impasse. The government has threatened to fire doctors who do not return to work, claiming that discussions on a return-to-work formula will only occur at that point.
The Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya) has called for an urgent resolution of the nation's health crisis due to the doctors' strike and NHIF cash crunch, as parties involved in the ongoing saga are preparing their next moves.
Doctors, KMPDU, the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Council of Governors (COG), the Public Service Commission, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the Ministries of Labor and Social Protection, the National Treasury, and the Head of Civil Service have all been urged by ICJ Kenya Council chairperson Protas Saende to resume discussions with a fresh start.
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Implementing the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), posting medical interns, providing comprehensive medical coverage, providing postgraduate training, and allowing doctors to be employed are some controversial issues from the medical community's perspective.
The government is switching from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), established in 2023, at the same time as the doctor's strike.
Healthcare facilities have expressed concerns regarding the NHIF claim payment delays. Some private health facilities have been forced to charge NHIF beneficiaries out of pocket for medical services, which is unaffordable for most Kenyans.
In an attempt to restore normalcy, the Commission of Jurists has urged all parties concerned to implement the following suggestions.
Parties, including state actors in the national and county governments, have been urged to uphold all agreements arising from concluded negotiations and all court orders resulting from adjudication processes amid the controversy surrounding past and unimplemented agreements.
