ODM party leader Raila Odinga has been bashed online for the second day Tuesday for remarks in response to doctors’ demands for better working conditions
On Monday, while speaking in Kisumu, Odinga told the medics not to hold the government to ransom saying Covid-19 pandemic was affecting everyone.
“All I want to do is to appeal to our doctors to be more understanding. We are in a crisis at the moment, people are dying. It is not only doctors who are dying,” Odinga said.
He went on, “Ordinary Kenyans are also dying of Covid-19. We are also in a die-hard situation as far as the economy is concerned. This is not the time to hold the government to ransom.”
He then added salt to injury by telling healthcare workers in the frontline in fighting Coronavirus that they should remain true to their Hippocratic oath.
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“The doctors themselves took an oath to protect lives, how then can you justify downing of tools when people are dying?” the former Prime Minister asked.
Kenyans on social media were not amused by the remarks, telling off Odinga for being insensitive to the suffering and death of doctors and other health workers.
To make it worse, Odinga made the remarks only hours after Dr Stephen Mogusu, who was based in Machakos County, succumbed to Coronavirus complications.
When @RailaOdinga was sick, he flew in a private jet to a German hospital in Dubai. He like many other politicians enjoy the best private healthcare both locally and abroad. For Raila and his fellow politicians, BBI is more important than the lives of poor Kenyans! #LindaKatiba pic.twitter.com/vMm7CnQzAU
— Boniface Mwangi (@bonifacemwangi) December 8, 2020
Dear Raila Odinga,
This morning, we discussed reverse logic, and my students used the skills learnt to write you a short note.
Have a great day,
Mwalimu Joshua Njenga #DrStephenMogusu #RipDrMogusu #BBINonsense pic.twitter.com/SCK2HaUfMV
Raila Odinga How about collecting 5M signatures to make the health sector much better.The concerns of our medics are very genuine and it's time we redirect our energy and resources where they matter most or is that referendums are more important than healthcare in this country.
Ironically, Odinga got a section of online users who backed his remarks.
It is #UhuRuto Government that PROMISED Kenyans that if ELECTED INTO OFFICE they will streamline our HEALTHCARE SECTOR, NOT RAILA.
They FAILURES should not be blamed on PM Raila.
One thing I like about Raila Odinga, he speaks the truth even when that truth is uncomfortable. People would want to join doctors in lynching everyone yet the entire world has been affected by this pandemic. Everyone is suffering and it's not doctors only. #DrStephenMogusu pic.twitter.com/sJJF6MBGyo
90% of Covid care is now outside hospitals. Ordinary Kenyans deserve pay too for taking care of their COVID kins? There’s nothing unfortunate about Mr. Odinga’s comments when taken in their proper context. https://t.co/aihdNwMx2N
On Monday Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMDU) suspended its strike by 14 days to allow for dialogue with the government on their grievances.
KMPDU has recently revealed that at least 763 clinical officers in public and private health facilities had contracted the deadly virus while in the line of duty.
The union said 3 doctors, 26 nurses and 9 clinical officers also died from Covid-19.
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