Doctors in Nairobi have threatened to go on strike over what they term as lack of comprehensive medical insurance cover.
Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nairobi branch secretary Malindi Chao on Monday said the county government of Nairobi has not been remitting their statutory deductions to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) despite their payslips showing that the money had been deducted.
The official lamented that some doctors are being detained in hospitals after being unable to clear their bills.
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"Imagine we are giving a service which ourselves we can not get it. We have doctors who are in hospitals as we speak. They are being detained in hospitals because of bills we can not pay," Chao said.
"We are being deducted 1,700 NHIF statutory money every month. It's not being remitted to NHIF. Where is that money going? Somebody needs to be held accountable."
Chao noted that the doctors' union will issue a strike notice to Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja in two days' time, informing the county leadership of their intention to down tools.
The heat started to be felt on Monday morning after the medics took to the streets, partially paralyzing services in all public hospitals.
Chao had earlier asked all doctors working in Nairobi City County to converge at the governor’s office to air their grievances.
The official warned that no doctor would be available to attend to patients from Monday, February 13, as the health workers try to seek an audience with Governor Sakaja.
“KMPDU Nairobi branch informs the public that commencing Monday, all doctors working in Nairobi City County will be converging at the governor’s office due to lack of NHIF comprehensive insurance cover,” Chao said.
“We therefore regrettably wish to notify the populace of Nairobi County on the above subject and request them to seek services at the Kenyatta National Hospital as all county health facilities will have no doctors available to attend to them."
Sakaja managed to stop a similar strike early this year after reaching out to the doctors.
"COG Health Chair @MuthomiNjuki and I today met the National Leadership of @kmpdu to resolve the issues that have caused medical practitioners to issue a national strike notice for the 6th of January. We are making great progress and I’m confident that we shall avert this strike," Sakaja said.
KMPDU had in December last year given counties a 30-day strike notice citing lack of commitment for the county bosses to implement their 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which they signed in March 2017 after a crippling 100-day strike.
The union accused the Ministry of Health, county governments and parastatals of abandoning the implementation of the CBA and adjustment of their salaries, and failure to post medical interns among other concerns.
"Over 1000 interns have stayed at home for more than a year awaiting posting and employment," KMPDU secretary general Davji Atellah said in a statement on December 20.
