A month without doctors: How Nairobi hospitals are coping with the strike

Empty benches. Longer queues. Slower services. This is the reality at hospitals in Nairobi County, where doctors are now on the 35th day of their strike.

Nation yesterday conducted a spot check at three hospitals, observing frustration among patients seeking health services.

At Mbagathi Hospital, we met Clare Cherop, who was visiting the facility for the first time.

"I got here at 8am. It is now 4pm, and I have just been seen a few minutes ago. The services here were so slow. I don't know why," she told Nation.

Kamau Asafa was disgruntled by the services at Mbagathi Hospital. It was not his first time at the facility. When we met him on Tuesday afternoon, he was having a snack with his wife after a whole day of waiting for their child to be treated.

Just like Clare, Kamau, his wife, and their child had arrived at the hospital by 8am.

"We came here for a check-up. Even though the services are okay, they are quite slow. This is not our first time here. Normally, there are five doctors in the outpatient section, but now we only have two," he said.

"The queues are longer than usual because the healthcare workers are few and are attending to all of us," he added.

At Pumwani Maternity Hospital, fewer patients were in the waiting area when we arrived.

Christine Kiteshuo, Chief Executive Officer of Pumwani Maternity Hospital, said that even though services have slowed down at the facility, no patient would be turned away.

"We are operational. Mothers are still coming in to seek services, and deliveries are still being conducted by nurses and doctors," she said.

"We have put measures in place, and we have no gaps at the moment. We encourage the pregnant women out there to come and deliver," she added.

Ms Kiteshuo told Nation that the facility has deployed about 12 doctors on a locum basis to fill the gap left by those who are not on duty because of the strike.

Also read: Countdown begins: Homa Bay doctors set February 2 strike deadline

At Mama Lucy Hospital, security has been ramped up. A worker at the facility told us that we could not speak to the chief executive officer until we obtained clearance from the County Executive Committee Member for Health at the Nairobi County Government.

Dr Maero Deogracious, Nairobi branch chairperson of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), told Nation that the county government continues to ignore their concerns.

One issue

Of the eight issues they have raised, he said the county has only responded to one: the issuance of confirmation letters to doctors.

"They have not carried out any promotions, they have not paid doctors their gratuity, we still do not have medical cover, and the county has not addressed any of the issues in the return-to-work formula. That is why we are on the streets," he said.

"We are in agreement with the county that they will pay their portion of the gratuity, but what remains pending is that they have not told us when and how. They have not shown any interest," he added.

More than a month into the strike, the doctors have not managed to hold any conclusive meeting with the county to reach an agreement. The doctors are also complaining of delayed salaries, with some not having been paid for December.

"The last time we had a meeting was on December 23. The people who attended could not make any decisions, and the meeting was postponed. It has never been rescheduled to this day," he said.

Dr Maero insisted that they are not backing down, saying that this will be the last strike they undertake, but all their issues must be addressed before they return to work.

"We do not want to keep putting patients' lives at risk. It is not fair. We will not budge; they have to sort these issues once and for all," he said.

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