Nairobi’s Doctors Strike Enters 5th Day

The doctors’ strike in Nairobi County entered its fifth day as negotiations between the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and the doctors continue.

NMS Health Chief Officer Dr. Ouma Oluga refuted reports that patients are being turned away and are not receiving medical attention as a result of the ongoing strike.

“I think it’s important that we paint a clear picture for Nairobians so that women do not suffer when they want to deliver. All health facilities are receiving people and there’s not a single person that will go to hospital and fail to receive the care that they need even as we negotiate with our doctors to ensure that all issues are sloved.” Said Oluga.

Dr. oluga insisted that service delivery in public hospitals is still ongoing and Nairobi residents should not be worried about lack of healthcare services.

“I can attest that personally I know the problems of health Care workers. Those issues are being solved and they existed before including nurses who have not been paid for two years. NMS did not exist in two years, it came to solve the problem.” He added.

He made the remarks at the Pumwani hospital where the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) donated items worth ksh.4.5 million including personal protective kits for health care workers, mama kits for the expectant mothers and midwifery birth models for training.

Doctors in most public hospitals in Nairobi went on strike on August 21 to protest against delayed salaries and a lack of protective equipment when handling patients who may have COVID-19.

Close to 320 doctors employed by the Nairobi County government are currently taking part in the strike because they had inadequate health insurance, poor quality protective gear and too few isolation wards to treat COVID-19 patients.