Kenyan doctors working in government hospitals began a strike on Monday over lack of protective equipment (PPE) and inadequate insurance benefits, reported Anadolu Agency.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union announced the strike on Twitter saying that there had been no resolution of grievances raised over the last eight months.
“The Kenya government has neglected the Welfare, Safety & Health of health care workers,” the doctor’s union said on Sunday. “No provision of medical insurance, Workman injury benefits & Compensation & lack of adequate quality PPEs. This greatly hampers the fight against #COVID19 in a country with an acute shortage of doctors.”
In an interview with Reuters, Chibanzi Mwachonda, secretary-general of the union, said the strike is all about safety and security of the doctors. He added that the country’s fight against the coronavirus would be badly hampered by the walk-out, but the medics had no other choice.
The Kenyan Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe has warned the striking doctors that they could lose their jobs if they don’t to work as soon as possible. He said the Kenyan government would soon begin recruiting new health workers to replace the ones on strike.
Notably, at least 14 doctors have died of the coronavirus since the first case was confirmed in the country in March, according to the doctors union.
The strike was due to begin on Dec. 7 but it got delayed for two weeks for talks with the government. In August, doctors in most public hospitals in Nairobi went on strike for about a week to protest salary delays and lack of PPE. Doctors working in hospitals run by regional county governments have also been on strikes intermittently since March over similar grievances.
The virus has infected over 94,500 people so far and claimed the lives of 1,639 in Kenya.
