KMPDU warn of Covid-19 infection surge after lifting of curfew

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has warned of a likelihood of Covid-19 infections surge after easing of containment measures amid deteriorating health sector in the country.

KMPDU officials have raised concern over deteriorating health sector because of lack of commitment by respective County governments to address issues affecting the sector, as members of the public continue to ignore various Ministry of Health protocols to contain Covid-19 virus.

KMPDU Secretary General Dr Davji Atella and union’s chairman Dr Abidan Mwachi urged national and county governments to be on the lookout of a possible outbreak of another wave.

“We are concerned that County governments are disregarding health workers agreements, ignoring to address their plights even through court orders. This is a serious issue considering that the governments should embrace health personnel this time when most of the people have dropped the guard after President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted dawn to dusk curfew in the last few days,” said Dr Atella.

Addressing the media during the ad hoc Union’s national delegates meeting at English Point in Mombasa, Mr Atella said there is need for the two governments to take health sector serious by addressing issues of salaries and provision of medical supplies.

“We cannot separate health sector and economy progression hence there’s need to check our health systems at this time when the national government has eased a number of Covid-19 containment measures,” said Dr Atella.

He added, “If the departments concerned will not deal with issues affecting health workers, soon will be supervising deaths in our hospitals since there is no motivation of work as we anticipate increase of virus infections.”

The union singled out Nairobi, Kitui, Mombasa, Taita-Taveta, Kirinyaga among counties which have persistently disregard welfare of the health workers.

 Early this month, the Employment and Labour Relations court ordered Kitui County government to release salaries of 20 doctors whose pay had been withheld since July because they have refused to cut short their study leave.

Mr Mwachi on his part said the union is pushing for a centralized coordination of health activities through the formation of Health Service Commission.

“We have been pushing to have one commission to address issues affecting health workers where all 47 counties will be coordinating how to deal with staff statutory deductions and their salaries,” said the chairperson.

He also urged the government to allocate more funds to vaccinate more people in the next few weeks to avert any possible virus infections surge.

“With only less than 5 million people fully vaccinated against as population of 50 million, this is a danger in the waiting thus government should not concentrate on opening the economy without addressing health issues and this can be done through increasing availability of vaccines,” said KMPDU chairperson.

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