The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has threatened to stage protests in the next fourteen days if the government fails to heed its demands.
The Union's Secretary General Davji Atellah while addressing journalists in Nairobi, accused the government of frustrating health workers through persistent salary delays.
According to Attelah, most healthcare workers across the country have been grappling with meagre salaries despite the government's initial promise that it would hike their pay.
"These salary delays have caused unforetold suffering among healthcare workers across several counties. These workers are unable to pay their rent, fuel their cars or even pay their daily utilities," Atellah said.
"We are saying that we will not continue to see our workers in these counties straining to go to work while their salaries and welfare are ignored."
The health officials also demanded immediate issuance of medical insurance covers for all health workers, citing possible risks for the workers during their duties.
He termed the government's failure to issue health insurance as the greatest negligence. "Therefore we are in demand for the health insurance of workers in those 40 counties immediately," Atellah stated.
KMPDU officials further accused the county governments of failing to remit healthcare workers' salary deductions to the revenue authority thus putting the workers in a dilemma.
"We have noted with concern the frustration of our workers from close to 40 counties where statutory deductions have not been remitted to some counties even up to two years," the Union's Secretary General claimed.
"We have seen bank loans have not been paid. It is an injustice and immoral when the said counties expect the same workers to continue working."
During the presser, Attelah vowed to mobile health workers across the country including doctors, nurses, clinical officers and even laboratory technicians.
"That is why today we are saying that all the health workers, that is, the doctors, nurses, clinical officers, lab technicians will be out of work as they demand for these things to be implemented," Attelah stated.
