- The medical professionals are advocating for a complete overhaul of the system, demanding financial stability, clear career progression opportunities, and a supportive work environment.
- They are also fighting for the hiring of medical interns to alleviate the immense workload and ensure better patient care.
- This strike is a culmination of years of neglect by the government, resulting in critical understaffing and a doctor-to-patient ratio far exceeding WHO recommendations.
By Cliffin Nyerere and Loise Lenser
The anguished cries of Kenya’s healthcare system as doctors down their tools, reverberate severely in the vacant hospital wards.
A prolonged strike by doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers has ripped open the festering wounds of years of neglect.
Currently, the country is facing a doctor-to-patient ratio that dwarfs the World Health Organization’s recommendation by a staggering tenfold. These chronic understaffing forces healthcare workers into a brutal daily grind, jeopardizing patient safety and the quality of care.
The strike merely amplifies a pre-existing crisis, one that’s pushing skilled professionals towards greener pastures even if it means travelling far and wide.
The Talent Drain We Can’t Ignore
This exodus isn’t a figment; Kenyan doctors are increasingly seeking opportunities in the United Kingdom and to add fuel to this fire, the current regime has gone overboard to sign an MOU which seeks to export this kind of labour to the Middle East, Saudi Arabia.
This trend is fueled not just by the current strike, but by a long-standing sense of neglect.
The government’s historic failure to address issues like salary arrears, career stagnation, and most importantly, the year-long limbo faced by medical interns who haven’t been posted – their professional dreams put on hold – paints a grim picture of healthcare as a viable career path.
Why dedicate years to a profession that fails to value your contributions?
The doctor crisis didn’t erupt overnight. Towards the end of February, doctors threatened to strike in the face of unaddressed grievances giving March 1, as their last day of work.
Their warnings fell on deaf ears. When they finally downed tools, the desperation of the situation was tragically underscored by the violent injury of Dr Davji Atellah, the Secretary General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, who was struck by a teargas canister.
“The government has not implemented critical components of this collective bargaining agreement and instead, they have begun to violate it outrightly,” said Davji Atellah.
A core reason for the strike lies in Kenya’s dire doctor-to-patient ratio. The system is woefully understaffed, forcing existing medical personnel to shoulder an immense workload.
This creates a vicious cycle – overworked doctors face burnout and seek opportunities abroad where they are readily absorbed.
The striking doctors aren’t just fighting for themselves; they’re advocating for the future of healthcare in Kenya. By demanding the hiring of trained medical interns who have been waiting for over a year, they hope to alleviate the pressure on the system and prevent themselves from being buried under an unsustainable workload.
This isn’t just about salaries; it’s about creating a sustainable healthcare environment that benefits both patients and medical professionals.
“The doctors must not be paid yesterday, they must not be paid tomorrow, but they must be paid today,” said Paul Ongili, also known as “Babu Owino,” an opposition member of parliament commented following the ongoing strike.
While Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha’s pleas for the doctors to return to work are understandable, the solution demands more than simply resuming a broken status quo.
President William Ruto on his part asked the doctors to call off the strike and go back to work, as he clarified that the government is struggling with a huge wage bill and cannot afford to review their salaries.
“I am telling our friends, the doctors, that we mind about them. We value the service they give to our nation. But we have to live within our means,” Ruto stated.
A Stitch in Time, or a Systemic Overhaul?
Kenya’s health crisis requires a complete restructuring of the healthcare system.
Financial stability is paramount, ensuring timely salaries, clear career progression opportunities, and benefits that make staying in Kenya an attractive choice.
Building a supportive work environment that values its professionals fosters loyalty and attracts new talent.
The solution demands more than simply appeasing the striking workers. It requires a complete restructuring of the healthcare system.
Financial stability is paramount, ensuring timely salaries, clear career progression opportunities, and benefits that make staying in Kenya an attractive choice. Building a supportive work environment that values its professionals fosters loyalty and attracts new talent.
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Investing in these future doctors, by addressing the year-long posting delay for interns, is an investment in Kenya’s future healthcare ecosystem. Giving them the respect and support they deserve is crucial to stanch the bleeding of talent.
Kenya cannot afford to lose another doctor, another nurse, another passionate heart dedicated to healing.
This strike is a stark warning, a call to action that can’t be ignored. The government must address the grievances, prioritize posting medical interns, and build a healthcare system that values its workers and prioritizes the health of its citizens.
Band-aid solutions won’t suffice. Kenya needs a full surgical intervention, and the clock is ticking. Otherwise, the exodus will continue, leaving a nation with a critically ill healthcare system and a future shrouded in uncertainty.
