Former Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr. Ouma Oluga has dimissed KEMSA board chair Irungu Nyakera’s proposals to fix doctors’ strike.
In his proposals, the proposed Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) Board Chair addressed several key issues that have fueled the strike, offering potential solutions to mitigate the impact on the crisis.
Commenting on a social media post shared on X, Dr. Oluga weighed in on the doctors ongoing strike, specifically what informed the medical interns renumerations as per the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“I don’t understand how Salaries and Remuneration Commission – SRC came to decide that medical intern’s stipends be at Ksh 50,000 to Ksh 70,000,” he said.
Oluga’s Tiff with KEMSA Boss
Expressing his personal views on the matter, KEMSA Board Chair, firstly, highlighted the glaring wage disparities within the medical profession, pointing out that interns earning significantly more than some fully qualified doctors was a cause for discontent.
Further, he suggested aligning intern salaries with those recommended by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), which would help to level the playing field, a view Dr. Oluga chided.
“May lightning strike scrotums and ovaries failing this country and unnecessarily provoking doctors. And you, please hide this kind of thinking… Not for your caliber,” said Dr. Oluga.
Dr. Oluga went on to provide detailed insights into the process behind determining intern stipends under the 2017 CBA.
Equally important, he explained that extensive research and comparisons were conducted in collaboration with the SRC to ensure fair compensation for interns based on various factors such as economic status, investment in education, job complexity, and the value of their work in healthcare.
Also Read: KEMSA Boss Proposes Solutions Amidst Ongoing Doctors Strike
“We did a thorough job comparing countries of similar economic status, investment in education, complexity of job, value of job in generating impact,” Dr. Oluga stated.
Medical Interns Active Role in Healthcare Service
Notably, according to Dr. Oluga, interns make up 27% of the healthcare workforce in Kenya and play a crucial role in saving the government significant funds.
He cited a figure of 87 billion Kenyan shillings spent annually on healthcare workers, with interns contributing to savings of approximately 30 billion Kenyan shillings.
“So, interns are saving Kenya 30B and we want to argue that 5B is way too much to pay them. A mere 16% of what they are saving the taxpayer?” Dr. Oluga questioned.
Furthermore, Dr. Oluga emphasized that intern salaries were benchmarked against countries with similar economic conditions and highlighted the active role interns play in healthcare delivery.
“Plus, interns actually work,” he added.
KEMSA Boss Observations
In contrast, Nyakera reiterated his stance on the matter, suggesting that interns should accept the SRC rates of around Ksh70,000.
Additionally, he proposed legislative measures requiring higher-level healthcare facilities to absorb and compensate interns, thus shifting the burden from the national government to individual counties.
Moreover, Nyakera also emphasized the need for decentralization in addressing the demands of healthcare workers, advocating for each county to manage its own doctors and tailor solutions according to localized needs.
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He further suggested the creation of separate unions for doctors and pharmacists to better represent their respective interests and negotiate more effectively.
Meanwhile, Nyakera pointed out that while public hospitals were grappling with the effects of the strike, doctors in private hospitals continued to work, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the strike on ordinary citizens.
