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Doctors at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret have ended their seven-day strike after the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) reached an agreement with the hospital’s management.
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CEO Phillip Kirwa and KMPDU officials, including Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah, branch chairman Dr. Darwin Ambuka, and branch secretary Dr. Kamunzi Mule, signed a return-to-work agreement, bringing the strike, which began on February 4, to a close. Dr. Atellah called for doctors to resume work within 24 hours.
“We are pleased that our strike, lasting six days, was not in vain, and the issues we raised have been addressed,” said Dr. Atellah. He confirmed that the Treasury had agreed to release the necessary funds, allowing for the full implementation of the doctors’ demands.
The strike was sparked by issues including delayed promotions and lack of medical coverage for some doctors. Dr. Atellah assured that promotions would be promptly implemented, with doctors receiving their promotion letters immediately. KMPDU also raised concerns about the hospital’s failure to employ long-term contract doctors, which has now been resolved.
Another key issue was the outstanding remittance of over Sh1 billion for statutory and third-party deductions and Sh600 million for bank loans, which Dr. Atellah confirmed would be paid as agreed.
“We gave notice of the strike on January 22, and it began on February 4. However, we have had ongoing discussions with the board during this time,” Dr. Atellah explained.
Dr. Kirwa expressed satisfaction with the resolution and assured that hospital services would resume as normal. “We are back to full operations and assure our clients of quality services as usual,” he stated. He emphasized the hospital’s commitment to effective service delivery and prompt action to resolve the strike.
Both Dr. Kirwa and Dr. Atellah expressed hope that with continued collaboration between the management and staff, future strikes could be avoided.
