COG Instructs Governors To Fire Striking Doctors

The Council of Governors has dispatched letters to governors across all the 47 counties directing them to, among other things, immediately terminate salaries for health care workers participating in the ongoing strike.

According to COG, the medical practitioners who have downed their tools are acting in total disregard of several court orders suspending the industrial action. The Council’s Chairperson Wycliffe Oparanya insists that strike being spearheaded by the various trade unions is unlawful.

In the letter also addressed to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, the county chiefs’ boss lamented how the industrial action has negatively impacted service delivery in the county health facilities.

Oparanya further wants governors to initiate disciplinary processes where the employees have failed to report on duty without any valid reason.

In the ruling, Justice Makau issued a temporary relief suspending the strike for 14 days “to allow negotiations before mentioning virtually the case on 30^th December 2020.”

If the governors push through with the threat, then medical officers engaged in post graduate training at the National Referrals Hospitals will also be affected as governors are expected to withdraw payment of their tuition fees on top of stoppage of payment of their salaries.