Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists' Union (KMPDU) acting Secretary General Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda has appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta after allegedly being snubbed by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe.
Mwachonda noted that the Ministry of Health has failed to address the plight of healthcare workers as they continue to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Dear Mr President: The CS & PS at MoH have failed you in addressing the matters of Health care workers in this country.
"They have persistently declined to engage KMPU on your directives raised herein for the past 5 months," read Mwachonda's statement.
Mwanchonda referenced a letter issued to the Ministry of Health dated Thursday, June 18, seeking to discuss the safety of healthcare workers amid the pandemic.
"The Union notes that healthcare workers on the frontline are increasingly getting exposed to Covid-19. So far 84 healthcare workers have been infected with Covid-19.
"We, therefore, request a meeting to deliberate on the way forward regarding the following: Welfare of frontline healthcare workers. Occupational safety and health if frontline health care workers," read the letter in part.
KMPDU convened a Special National Advisory Council meeting on Sunday to deliberate on the way forward for all doctors.
The Union, in addition, instructed all doctors not to further risk their lives as per section 14 (2) of the Occupational Safety Health Act 2007 pending the resolutions of the NAC meeting.
An alarming number of healthcare workers have succumbed to the virus in the past three days with Dr Emarah Ashraf, Dr Hudson Alumera, Dr Jackline Njoroge and Dr Faith Kanjiru Mburu losing their lives.
Back in April, Uhuru directed that all medical staff receive a welfare package from the Health Ministry to cushion them against the economic effects of Covid-19.
As of Thursday, November 12, the country had reported 23 deaths of healthcare workers with 2,207 confirmed positive cases.
