Kisumu County government and the regional doctors’ union have been put on the spot over the death and suffering of patients during the medics’ three-week strike.
County government officials led by Health Executive Miguda Attyang, Health Chief Officer Alphonse Ouya and Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nyanza branch officials Kevin Osuri (chairman) and Lameck Omweri (secretary), on Monday faced the wrath of residents who demanded a public apology.
Addressing a joint press conference at the county headquarters where they formally called off their 23 days’ strike, KMPDU officials, who had earlier on dismissed the letters of promotion issued by the county as mere “love” letters, said they had agreed to call off the strike.
“We resolve that doctors resume duty immediately as advised on December 28, 2019 and that they shall continue to collect their promotion letters from the county Department of Health and Sanitation as earlier advised,” states the statement read by Dr Omweri. Earlier Dr Osuri said they had rejected the letters.
On Monday, the officials could not however, explain any adjustments made on the letters that made them call off the strike.
Dr Osuri said: “The letters issued initially were not verified from our end. We did verify them on Saturday and the errors were rectified.”
He however, failed to explain why they rejected the letters before they were verified as patients continued to suffer.
Kisumu City Residents Voice Chairman Audi Ogada said the KMPDU officials and Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o-led administration must apologise to patients and families that lost their loved ones during the strike.
“We are in the process of tabulating the number of those who died as a result of the strike due to lack of attention in public facilities. So far, in Kisumu Central sub county alone, we have 15 reported deaths and more than 10,000 patients who suffered during the 23-day-strike,” Mr Ogada said.
He said civil society groups were contemplating taking legal action against those who called the strike on behalf of the affected families.
Prof Attyang’ said the county government and the doctors had reached an agreement.
“We will promote doctors and health workers when it is due,” she said.
In the joint communique issued on Monday and signed by Mr Ouya, Dr Osuri and Dr Omweri, they also resolved: “That doctors scheduled for suitability interviews to effect their promotions as per the provisions of the Doctors Scheme of Service shall do so between 20th and 24th of January 2020 as per the schedule provided by the County Public Service Board and that the two parties (CGK and KMPDU), shall continue with the implementation of the CBA as signed under the supervision of the CBA Implementation Committee.”
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