Kenyan doctors have issued the government with a seven-day ultimatum to resolve the ongoing nurses’ dispute, warning that they could down their tools if the standoff continues. KMPDU says the prolonged strike is placing an unsustainable burden on doctors and leaving public hospitals struggling to provide essential care.
Highlights
- KMPDU has given the government seven days to resolve the nurses’ dispute.
- The nurses’ strike has entered its sixth week.
- Doctors say they are being forced to take on duties normally handled by nurses.
- KMPDU has raised concerns over preventable complications and deaths.
- The union also wants outstanding doctors’ pay adjustments implemented.
Main Story
Doctors Warn of Possible Strike
Kenyan doctors are threatening to join the ongoing industrial action if the dispute involving nurses is not resolved within seven days.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr Davji Atellah said doctors could no longer continue absorbing duties normally performed by nurses as the strike stretches into its sixth week.
Atellah warned that public hospitals were already operating under severe pressure, with doctors being forced to handle responsibilities outside their normal roles.
“Doctors cannot do the nursing jobs,” he said.
Patients Bear the Brunt
According to KMPDU, the disruption has affected patients who require regular nursing care, while the shortage of doctors has made the situation even more difficult.
Atellah said patients seeking treatment in public hospitals were facing reduced access to essential services because nursing care is a critical part of healthcare delivery.
He warned that the situation could result in more serious complications, particularly among vulnerable patients.
The union says children and mothers have been among those affected, with Atellah arguing that some deaths and complications could have been avoided if public health facilities were operating normally.
KMPDU Raises Concern Over Preventable Complications
Atellah said some illnesses that would ordinarily be manageable could become more serious when patients do not receive the nursing support they need.
He criticised the government’s handling of the dispute, saying the disruption had reached a point where it could no longer be treated as a normal labour disagreement.
KMPDU maintains that healthcare services must remain functional while outstanding concerns affecting health workers are addressed.
Dispute Dates Back to 2017
Atellah said the issues behind the nurses’ dispute are not new and can be traced back to agreements made under the 2017 return-to-work formula.
He argued that successive administrations have been aware of the unresolved matters and should therefore honour commitments already made to healthcare workers.
The union has also called for agreements signed between health workers and the government, including those deposited in court, to be implemented.
Doctors Have Their Own Pending Issues
While supporting nurses in their push for the implementation of their agreements, KMPDU said doctors are also waiting for commitments from the government to be honoured.
Atellah said doctors had been promised adjustments to their payslips in August, but the changes had not been implemented.
He expressed hope that the outstanding adjustments would be reflected in September.
Seven Days to Find a Solution
The latest warning puts additional pressure on the government to resolve the nurses’ dispute before the situation develops into a wider healthcare crisis.
With nurses already away from their duties and doctors warning that they may also withdraw their services, patients could face even greater disruption if the two sides fail to reach an agreement.
The government now has seven days to address the concerns raised by KMPDU and help restore normal operations in public health facilities.
As the nurses’ dispute drags on, the looming threat of a doctors’ strike raises a difficult question: how long can Kenya’s public health system absorb the pressure before patients pay an even heavier price?
