Efforts to resolve the ongoing healthcare workers’ strike hit a roadblock on Thursday evening as a meeting between the government and the Kenya Medical Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and other unions failed to yield any tangible results.
Led by the Whole of Nation Approach Committee, convened by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei in response to a court order issued on Wednesday, the meeting aimed to address the grievances of the striking healthcare workers.
After nearly five hours of deliberation behind closed doors, both parties announced that no agreement had been reached. However, they expressed optimism about making progress in another meeting scheduled for Friday.
KMPDU is set to engage in discussions with the Ministry of Health in the morning to address issues concerning the national government. Later in the day, they will hold talks with the Council of Governors before reconvening with the Whole of Nation Approach Committee.
The court order, issued on Wednesday, directed the government and KMPDU to convene a meeting and devise a return-to-work formula by Friday while continuing negotiations for an additional 30 days.
In a bid to facilitate negotiations, the Employment and Labour Relations Court extended orders suspending the prolonged doctors’ strike. Justice Byram Ongaya emphasized the importance of negotiating in good faith, considering the well-being of Kenyans.
Furthermore, Justice Ongaya ruled that hospitals at levels 3, 4, and 5, including Mathare Hospital, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), and Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), must have doctors available to handle emergency cases.
