Bishop Simon Onyago of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK)-South Nyanza Diocese has called upon the government to build mutual trust with the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) during the negotiations process.
Bishop Onyango who spoke during a church engagement forum at the Saint John’s Migori ACK Church said that lack of trust in formulating and implementing the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is what makes the civil servant workers go on strike; as with the current case of doctors.
Onyango highlighted that the ongoing doctors’ strikes has seen negotiations go back and forth without any meaningful outcome yet patients across the country continued to suffer.
He said that the recent threat by the government to give a two-week ultimatum for doctors to return to work was not a solution to their problem. The cleric however, urged the Ministry of Health to come up with amicable solutions to the strike.
Onyango disclosed that every time civil servants call for a strike to demand for their rights they are threatened with sacking and withdrawing of their licenses which reflects negatively on the government.
Recently, the Health Ministry gave a 14-day deadline for the intern doctors to report to work or risk losing their licences.
The Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore also called for the immediate suspension of the ongoing national doctors’ strike and return to work as they engage in meaningful dialogue with the government.
“We do not want a situation where doctors are forced to return to work simply because they have been threatened too. This may lead to a go-slow that may further impact negatively those seeking crucial health services within the government facilities,” said Onyago.
The cleric emphasised that it was important for the county, national government and KMPDU to come up with a comprise that will serve the interest of both partners to allow for a good return to work formula.
Canon Joshua Abulo, the Vicar General of the South Nyanza ACK diocese called upon the KMPDU officials and the government to reach an agreement to ease the suffering of the country’s residents.
Abulo said that Christians are asking for prayers for their sick but prayers alone were not sufficient for healing the sick without medical health interventions.
By Geoffrey Makokha
