The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has issued a 16 days notice to the county and national government if their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is not implemented.
According to KMPDU secretary-general Dr Ouma Oluga, if all necessary signatures which would address issues of allowances, training and working conditions of doctors and interns would not be appended by May 14, its members would “decide on the next course of action.”
Dr Oluga lamented that both county and national governments were stalling the implementation of the March CBA despite both parties on May 11 jointly agreeing to extend the signing to Sunday, May 28.
“The 16 days are our final extension. We have met several teams, sometimes late into the night to discuss the issues but to date, we feel progress has been painfully slow,” said Oluga
He further accused the Ministry of Health of acting in bad faith by signing an agreement with Cuba to facilitate the exchange of health specialists between the two countries as well as collaboration in the pharmaceutical sectors.
His position was reiterated by KMPDU chairman Samuel Oroko who stated the national and county governments should quickly conclude the issues in the CBA, alongside a recognition agreement, that ended the 100-day doctors’ strike on March 14.
The Secretary-general pointed out that it was a bad move by the ministry to bring in foreign medics yet there were jobless doctors in the country who would have otherwise been employed instead.
“We have nearly 1,400 doctors now, some who have been jobless for six months because the counties cannot absorb them largely due to nepotism in county public service boards which even employ quacks,” said Oluga.
The memorandum of understanding inked by Health CS Cleopa Mailu and his Cuban counterpart Roberto Morales would see Cuban pharmaceutical companies work with Kenya in the manufacture of anti-retroviral medicines, anti-malarial vaccines, and medical devices.
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