Kenya’s public hospital doctors launched a countrywide strike on Thursday, alleging that the government has not fulfilled the commitments outlined in a collective bargaining agreement made in 2017 after a 100-day strike which resulted in deaths due to inadequate medical attention.

The union of Kenyan medical professionals, pharmacists, and dentists has declared a strike in order to demand adequate healthcare coverage for doctors, and also due to the government’s failure to assign 1,200 medical interns.

Davji Bhimji, secretary-general of KMPDU, said 4,000 doctors took part in the strike despite a labor court order asking the union to put the strike on hold to allow talks with the government. And Dennis Miskellah, deputy secretary general of the union, said they would disregard the court order the same way the government had disregarded three court orders to increase basic pay for doctors and reinstate suspended doctors.

Miskellah reported that medical interns comprise 27% of the staff in Kenya’s public hospitals, and their non-attendance results in a greater number of ill individuals being denied treatment at hospitals. Despite this, some physicians continue to work in order to prevent patient fatalities in the intensive care units.

According to Miskellah’s interview on Citizen TV, doctors are taking their own lives due to job-related stress, and some have had to resort to fundraising in order to afford medical treatment since they lack adequate health coverage.

The strike had a widespread effect on the country, resulting in numerous patients not receiving care or being denied treatment at hospitals throughout East Africa.

Pauline Wanjiru reported that she took her 12-year-old son to receive medical care for his fractured leg. However, she was refused admission at a hospital located in Kakamega county, located in the western region of Kenya.

In 2017, physicians working at public hospitals in Kenya participated in a 100-day strike. This was the longest strike ever held in the country and was a call for higher salaries and the government to improve the deteriorating public healthcare facilities. Additionally, the doctors requested ongoing training and recruitment to address the shortage of healthcare workers.

During this period, doctors employed by the government, who complete a six-year university degree, were compensated with a base pay ranging from $400 to $850 per month. This was comparable to the salary of certain police officers who only undergo six months of training.