Doctors in Embu County have raised concerns over a dire working environment, lack of medicine in hospitals, and inadequate equipment, prompting them to issue a 21-day strike notice.
The Kenya Medical Pharmacist and Dentist Union (KMPDU) Secretary General, Dr. Davji Attella, led the doctors in expressing their grievances during a press conference held in Embu town.
Dr. Attella expressed the union's position on the matter of pleading with the county leadership to improve its members' working conditions.
The doctors accused the county government of neglecting health facilities in Embu, resulting in a shortage of essential drugs and equipment necessary for effective healthcare delivery.
The consequences of this negligence have been severe, as doctors struggle to provide the services they are trained for and have been forced to supervise deaths and refer patients to other counties.
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"Embu doctors are at work to supervise deaths, they are struggling because they are not supported by the county government, they don't have drugs in the hospitals, they don't have the equipment and they are worried as they give the services they are trained to do," the SG disclosed.
"They are there to supervise deaths, they are there to refer patients to other counties."
Dr. Attella drew attention to the alarming fact that doctors and consultants in Embu County receive salaries comparable to those of interns.
He condemned this trend, labeling it as "bad manners" and asserting that such disparity should not be tolerated in any employment sector.
Furthermore, the doctors expressed frustration with the county government's failure to remit statutory deductions, causing financial strain on their personal lives and leading to some losing their properties to auctioneers.
Another pressing issue raised by the doctors was the use of arbitrary contracts, leaving them uncertain about their future job security and hindering career progression.
They emphasized that this behavior jeopardizes their commitment to providing quality healthcare to the community.
Dr. Attella called on the residents of Embu County to seek medical services from neighboring counties or private hospitals if their demands are not met.
He revealed that currently, Embu County has only eight doctors, which is significantly below the ideal number, resulting in a deficit of about 300 doctors.
Supporting Dr. Attella's statements, Dr. Dennis Mugambi, the chairman of KMPDU in the upper Eastern region, lamented that doctors in Embu County have not been promoted in the last decade.
Despite hopes for positive changes with the new leadership, their expectations have been in vain.
"We thought we would see change but it's all in vain," Mugambi lamented.
The doctors hope that their strike notice will serve as a wake-up call to the county government, urging them to swiftly address the pressing issues to improve the state of healthcare in Embu County.
Failure to do so may lead to the disruption of medical services in the region, leaving residents with no choice but to seek medical attention elsewhere.
