Doctors in Nyamira County have called off their strike following negotiations with the county government in which they agreed on a return-to-work formula.
The Nyanza branch chairman of Kenya Medical Pharmacists and Dentist Union (KMPDU), Dr. Onyango Ndónga said they held elaborate discussions with Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo and he made a commitment on how to meet their demands to make the doctors’ working conditions conducive.
“It is unfortunate that we reached this point but it has birthed a symbiotic relationship between KMPDU and the government of Nyamira and we are grateful to the Governor who has acted with speed to salvage the situation which had put the doctors and their clients in a precarious position,” Dr. Onyango noted.
“We want to reaffirm our position to commitment of professional healthcare service provision to Nyamira residents and assure that our deserved rights and those of our patients shall be met after today’s engagement with the Governor and his entire cabinet,” the chairman confirmed.
Governor Nyaribo confirmed that his government will meet the doctor’s demands hinting that he will deal with some of the doctors’ issues instantly and others progressively.
“I want to give my sincere appreciation to doctors who after meaningful discourse have decided to call off their work strike and we have struck a deal that whenever they have unresolved issues, they should call for dialogue to amicably solve the issues instead of making the extreme decision of striking,” Nyaribo said.
He further hinted that drugs and commodities were on the way to be distributed to all facilities so that patients can access health care because accessibility of efficient and affordable health care is one of his core manifesto pillars he promised to deliver to the people of Nyamira who elected him.
Some of the issues KMPDU officials decried over compelling them to strike include; employing doctors at disadvantaged job groups, some doctors employed on probation terms without confirmation for over one year, serving under poor working conditions for lack of adequately equipped facilities.
Operation of hospitals in Nyamira County will from Thursday return to normalcy after interruption for 10 days due to the doctors’ strike.
