Africa-Press – Kenya. Nearly a month since doctors countrywide began their strike, Azimio leader Raila Odinga has for the first time weighed in on the crisis urging the state to address the stalemate.
Hot on the heels of queries and concerns from a section of Kenyans who questioned his silence on the matter, the ODM leader said Kenyans have suffered enough because of the crisis.
The Azimio boss said that the strike has disrupted healthcare at the country’s public hospitals.
“We are of the view that the situation is moving from bad to worse and soon, we will have a full-blown crisis in which all health workers will down their tools. Already, clinical officers have joined,” he said.
The ODM leader addressed the press conference on Thursday.
Raila called on both the government and doctors to reason together on issues raised and avert further suffering for Kenyans.
“After very wide consultations, I am convinced that the doctors and all other health workers currently on strike will be able to craft a return-to-work formula and resume duty if the government were to meet their demands halfway while negotiations continue,” he said.
The ODM leader has asked the State to pay medical interns, look into the fees and salaries for doctors pursuing further studies and address the unprocedural termination of their services.
The Azimio boss also appealed to the government to reinstate the Sh206,000 pay for interns until the next CBA negotiation.
He said that during that next round of negotiations, both parties will put their cases on the table for consideration.
Azimio wants the Ministry of Health to engage the doctors and their learning institutions to clear the fee balances and enable the doctors to complete their studies.
“The ministry must also engage counties to resolve the issue of pay for doctors who have overstayed in college through mistakes, not of their making,” he said.
“The ministry should also work out a plan for paying stipends to doctors who forgo county salaries and Ministry fees and privately fund their higher education while offering services in public hospitals. Such hustles should be supported.”
He said the ministry must lay down the rules that ensure fair, respectful and sustainable labour practices by both the public and private health providers.
“Doctors are complaining about a free-for-all-all system where some employers have the free hand to decide what to pay. The result has been a very unequal system where doctors hired to do the same job experience huge variations in salaries. The medical profession is too important to be managed so casually. The ministry must intervene for the doctors,” he added.
Raila asked counties that have terminated the contracts of doctors to reconsider their actions and engage them.
“If taken in consultation with the Union, I believe the above actions will see us avert the crisis that is building up in the health sector and pave the way for less antagonistic engagement.”
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