Healthcare crisis set to worsen as medics stand firm on demands

Kenya’s healthcare system is facing a significant challenge as doctors and clinical officers unite to protest what they describe as systemic failures, corruption, and breaches of professional rights that are undermining the delivery of quality healthcare.

The ongoing protests, led by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), highlight deep-rooted issues that threaten the sustainability of the country’s health infrastructure.

At the heart of the crisis are two major concerns: the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the government’s failure to honour its commitments to healthcare professionals. These challenges are not merely administrative; they are seen as direct threats to public health and the principles of universal healthcare access, according to the medics.

KUCO has accused the government and SHA of systematically marginalising clinical officers. In a petition to President William Ruto, KUCO highlighted what it believes to be the deliberate exclusion of clinical officers from essential healthcare service delivery.

Speaking at the Ministry of Health headquarters yesterday, George Gibore, Secretary-General of KUCO, said that more than 1,200 healthcare facilities previously contracted by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) had their contracts revoked under the new health authority, leaving nearly 3.6 million Kenyans without access to crucial services provided by clinical officers.

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“This is not just a contractual issue; it’s a matter of public health,” Gibore said. “These actions effectively deny millions of Kenyans the healthcare services they need, particularly in rural and underserved areas.”

KUCO has threatened to withdraw services to patients under SHA, citing claims of discrimination.

“We will not offer services to SHA patients until our issues are addressed. If this is not resolved, we will down tools entirely,” Gibore said.

The bone of contention is SHA’s policy of only contracting healthcare facilities registered with the Medical Practitioners, Dentists and Pharmacists Council (KMPDC), while not recognising facilities registered under the Clinical Officers Council (COC).

Clinical officers argue that this is an attempt to exclude them from the healthcare system. “The SHA’s actions are a direct affront to the contributions of clinical officers, who serve as the backbone of healthcare in Kenya,” Gibore said. “We are standing against corruption and marginalisation in the Ministry of Health and SHA. The individuals behind these anti-reform decisions are the very ones responsible for the collapse of the health system.”

In parallel with the clinical officers’ protests, KMPDU has escalated the situation by issuing a 21-day strike notice for a nationwide shutdown of all private, public and faith-based hospitals, starting December 22. The union’s frustration with the government has reached a boiling point, with doctors threatening to stop providing services unless their demands are met.

Dr. Davji Atellah, KMPDU Secretary-General, expressed the union’s growing disillusionment with the government’s failure to address their grievances.

Speaking at Nairobi Hospital, he outlined the union’s plan to begin discharging patients from major hospitals, including Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital, and Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, starting December 19. This decision precedes the larger strike, which will begin three days later.

“We have given the government ample time to address our issues, but there has been no meaningful action,” Dr. Atellah said. “Until our demands are met, starting at midnight on December 19, we will begin discharging patients from major hospitals. We have no other option.”

The union’s demands include the immediate resolution of issues such as the payment of unpaid medical interns and the implementation of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2017 but never fully honoured.

“Court orders are being ignored, and collective bargaining agreements are being violated. This is a pattern of broken promises that cannot continue,” he added.