Doctors in Kisumu County have suspended a strike that was to start on Friday midnight.
This is after the County Government of Kisumu committed to putting in place a process aimed at implementing the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2017.
“We have suspended our strike which was to start today (Friday) midnight. @KisumuCountyKE has made agreeable commitments which shall be deliberated upon from Monday as we start CBA implementation talks,” read a statement released by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nyanza Chapter.
KMPDU Nyanza officials suspended the strike after Kisumu County Secretary Olang’o Onudi announced that the county is committed to the implementation of the doctors’ CBA in totality.
KMPDU Nyanza had issued a strike notice to the Kisumu County Government on March 15, due to a breach of CBA and failure to convene CBA implementation meeting.
Suspension of the strike offers major relief to residents of Kisumu County, most of whom depend on public health facilities for medication.
Last month, nurses in Kisumu County went on strike and paralysed delivery of services in public health facilities for over two weeks.
Kisumu County Hospital and the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (Russia) were among the hard hit with the strike.