Embu County doctors have issued a 21-day strike notice citing a bad working environment, and lack of medicine in hospitals and equipment.
While addressing the press in Embu town the doctors said they are tired of pleading with the county leadership to better their working environment saying they had reached the apex.
KMPDU sec
Led by Kenya Medical Pharmacist and Dentist Union Secretary General Dr Davji Attella they accused the county government of failing to equip Embu health facilities with drugs and equipment to enable doctors to work effectively.
"Embu doctors are at work to supervise deaths, they are struggling because they are not supported by the county government, they don't have drugs in the hospitals, they don't have the equipment and they are worried as they give the services they are trained to do. They are there to supervise deaths, they are there to refer patients to other counties," said Dr Attella.
Attella highlighted that the deteriorating state of health facilities in the county coincides with the fact that doctors and consultants are receiving salaries comparable to those of interns.
He termed the trend as bad manners saying it cannot be tolerated in any employment sector.
The SG further said the county had completely failed to remit statutory deductions for the doctors and many were losing property to auctioneers.
Doctors with arbitrary contracts
Attella stated that the Doctors were being subjected to arbitrary contracts that they do not know when they will expire saying the behaviour by the county government was jeopardizing career progression.
The doctors urged locals to consider seeking medical services from other neighbouring counties or private hospitals if the county government will not meet their demands.
He observed that Embu County has only eight doctors and a deficit of about 300 doctors calling on the county leadership to move with speed and address the challenge.
His sentiments were echoed by Dr Dennis Mugambi who is the chairman of KMPDU in the upper Eastern who said doctors in Embu County have not been promoted for the last ten years.
Mugambi said their hope was that they would see a change after the new leadership took the mantle in the county but that was not forthcoming.
"We thought we would see change but it's all in vain," he said.
