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Mombasa, Kilifi county governments urge striking doctors to resume work

By Farhiya Hussein | Monday, April 1, 2024

The governors of the respective counties stressed the significance of prioritising patient care and ensuring continuity of vital medical services.

Mombasa and Kilifi county governments have urged healthcare workers not to allow the ongoing dispute with the National Government to impede their duties.

Despite a nationwide doctor's strike now in its third week, the governors of the respective counties stressed the significance of prioritising patient care and ensuring continuity of vital medical services.

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Speaking in Malindi on Sunday, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir emphasised the timely payment of salaries in his county.

"There is no single month that doctors have received their salaries late," he said.

Governor Abdulswamad further addressed concerns, urging doctors to consider the impact on patients' health.

He emphasised the efforts made by both counties to support healthcare workers, including timely salary payments, procurement of medicine, and allocation of funds for NHIF.

“I plead with doctors to go to work, because you cannot punish patients because of ongoing conflicts with the national government. If you say not going to the hospital is a solution then it will be unfair. There are other means to find solutions like recruiting interns,” said Governor Abdulswamad.

His Kilifi counterpart, Gideon Mung'aro echoed this sentiment, affirming that salaries in Kilifi are also paid on time, insisting that issues with the National Government should remain at that level.

Governor Mung'aro also called on healthcare professionals to resume work and encouraged them to focus on patient care.

"We understand they might be going on strike to stand in solidarity with their colleagues from Nairobi. But it will be unfair because we pay them on time as a county. Is it fair if I stand in solidarity with those governors who do not pay their workers' salaries on time? No. The medics also need to understand that,” he said.

He highlighted the efforts made to address doctors' concerns locally and urged them to continue serving the community despite the challenges.

Both governors stressed the importance of maintaining essential medical services for residents, emphasising that disputes with the National Government should not hinder patient care.

They called for an immediate return to work to ensure that people's health needs were met promptly.

"Our hospitals must remain operational, and our doctors must continue to serve their patients. We will support them in any way we can, but we cannot allow this dispute to disrupt healthcare services," Mung'aro said.