BY MUTUGI NJUE
The County Assembly of Embu has thrown its weight behind Governor Cecily Mbarire’s move to
replace striking medics.
The local chapter of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU) through Chairman Dr Denis Mugambi on Tuesday announced the start of a strike by its members which would have paralyzed health services.
However, the Governor brought in a team of locum tenens physicians to avert a crisis.
Governor Mbarire reiterated her commitment to engage the medics’ trade unionists in consultative dialogue on the best solution to their grievances but asserted that she would not hesitate to take decisive administrative action if the medical personnel remained adamant and insisted on downing their tools.
Ward Representatives led by Speaker Josiah Thiriku are now calling on the striking health workers to shelve threats of crippling operations of county hospitals and come to the negotiation table to have their grievances addressed amicably.
The Speaker cautioned doctors against holding the county at ransom through strikes.
“We are all employees of Embu County and our mandate is to serve our people. We may not be comfortable. Please reconsider your position, and get back to work. All of us are ready for negotiations,” he said.
Majority Leader Peter Murithi ‘Kobole’ (Mbeti North) warned medical practitioners against arm–
twisting the County Government to meet their demands but instead, pursue roundtable talks to iron out issues affecting their profession.
“Hardline stances would have undesirable outcomes,” Murithi said.
Similarly, County Assembly Health Committee Chairman Job Itumo (Mwea) urged the striking doctors to resume their duties as the leadership of their trade unions engages the County government in discourse to unlock the stalemate that has brought operations in the county health sector to a near halt.
Speaking during a press briefing at the Embu Level Five Hospital, the tough-talking leaders unanimously called for the sacking of all striking medical personnel if they were unwilling to return to work and restore normalcy in all public health facilities across the county as they await deliberations on their grievances.
While accusing doctors of acting like goons by using industrial action as a weapon to scare the County Government into submission, they observed that countless jobless health professionals were in desperate need of jobs and would not hesitate to take up such positions if declared vacant.
The Ward Reps are in favor of fresh recruitment of new health workers as opposed to endless strikes meant to intimidate the County Government into yielding to their demands without consideration of the state of the county economy and the current financial capability of the County Government.
Finance Committee chairperson Susan Wairimu stated that though the County Government was willing to promote doctors, recruit more to boost staff numbers, clear arrears on statutory deductions and improve overall working conditions, the County was performing poorly economically and therefore needed more time.
The County Government is at the moment relying on 10 contract doctors who are not eligible to participate in the strike, engaged nine private and retired Registered Clinical Officers from Embu and neighboring counties on a locum basis; five at the Level Five Hospital and two each for Runyenjes, Ishiara, Siakago, and Kiritiri Level Four Hospitals.
Governor Mbarire’s administration has also redesignated Health Promotion Officers to perform
nursing duties during the strike.
All healthcare workers on leave have also been recalled to ease the workload and security has been beefed up in all public health facilities to prevent disruption of services by the striking medics.
Mutugi Njue is the Principal Information and Communications Technology Officer at the County Assembly of Embu.
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