Anger and fury on Friday greeted Thursday's attack on doctors demonstrating to demand the employment of thousands of new medics, during which a tear-gas canister was fired at union's secretary general, Dr Davji Atellah.
Dr Atellah was hit in the head, suffered a fracture in the skull, and internal bleeding as well as other injuries.
He has been stitched 12 times and is currently admitted at the High Dependency Unit, the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU) said yesterday.
On Friday, KMPDU, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu), and the Kenya Medical Association condemned the attack. Others who condemned the attack were the Kenya County Government Workers Union, Amnesty International, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka .
Protest by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) demanding the swift posting of medical interns.
Photo credit: Pool
The organisations demanded an immediate and independent audit of what happened that day as well as the arrest and prosecution of those involved.
Dr Atellah had led his colleagues to the streets to demand swift posting of medical interns, who have stayed home for the last eight months, awaiting posting. The protest also sought to ensure swift payment of school fees for specialist doctors, which has delayed for four years.
A protest by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) demanding the swift posting of medical interns.
“The police had promised to accompany us to those offices, and they sure did, both uniformed and un-uniformed. It therefore came as shock to us that a police officer took a gun, aimed at the secretary-general, and shot at him in the head. They then fired teargas canisters at the doctors, causing a stampede that further injured 25 doctors,” said Dr Dennis Miskellah, KMPDU’s deputy secretary-general.
The doctors’ union also demand that the government and the National Treasury prioritise the setting up of a team to resolve all the healthcare human resource affairs.
“Failure to abide by the above by March 3, 2024, unions, all doctors and medics both in public and in private sector shall carry out nationwide demonstrations starting on March 4, 2024, until the Deputy OCS is charged in court for his aggressive crimes. We shall also give a seven-day national strike notice on all unresolved healthcare matters,” announced Dr Miskellah.
“We want to remind the police officers in this country that the right to protest and picket is not a favour. Anyone who feels aggrieved by anything once they have informed the police are entitled to that protest. To lob teargas canisters and to brutally attack about 600 professional doctors who are just marching for their rights is completely wrong,” he said.
Following his visit to Dr Atellah, Wiper Leader-Mr Musyoka termed the attack as inexcusable and unfortunate.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) demanding the swift posting of medical interns.
“A country cannot survive without doctors. The attack on Dr Atellah nearly killed him. I’ve just been to see him and he looks like he is out of danger. Why on earth would you want to teargas doctors,” said Mr Musyoka.
Cotu boss Francis Atwoli demanded that Prof Kithure Kindiki issues an apology for the “unprovoked attack” on Dr Atellah and his colleagues while terming the attack as “regrettable”, and “a flagrant violation of the Constitution.”
