Nairobi Hospital doctors have announced that they will be going on strike starting Monday, September 16, 2024.
In a statement, the doctors said that members of the Kenya Hospital Association (KHA) and the Admitting Staff Association (Doctors) at Nairobi Hospital have called for an Extraordinary General Meeting on their behalf and for other concerned members.
The doctors reminded all members of the KHA that the meeting will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel – Upper Hill on September 18, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. to advance their efforts to save Nairobi Hospital.
“The general public is hereby informed that the Nairobi Hospital Admitting Staff Association (doctors) will, by midnight today, Monday, September 16, 2024, down their tools,” the statement read in part.
The doctors notified the general public that there will be no new admissions at Nairobi Hospital, and they will only attend to patients in the wards, their private clinics, and emergency cases.
Doctors Grievances
Additionally, the doctors stated they are against the management of Nairobi Hospital and called for the resignation of the board of directors.
“To support the commitment to saving the hospital, for the purpose of ensuring an amicable and immediate resignation of the incumbent board of management, in solidarity with the progressive members of the Kenya Hospital Association in their quest to save the hospital, and finally in protest against the governance crisis at Nairobi Hospital caused by the board of management,” read another part of the statement.
They called upon the central command structure of Nairobi Hospital to take note of the development.
Moreover, the doctors urged members of the public who desire sustained quality healthcare from Nairobi Hospital to offer any possible assistance in the concerted efforts to save the hospital.
They said this should begin with ensuring the success of the extraordinary general meeting.
Nairobi Hospital Response to Allegations
This comes days after Dr. Chris Bichage, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Kenya Hospital Association, responded to some of the allegations raised by a section of the members.
Bichage stated that the allegations of corruption and mismanagement at the hospital, including conflicts of interest, cronyism, and nepotism, are unsubstantiated.
He said the Board of Management has implemented several policies that play a crucial role in enhancing good governance at the hospital, positioning it within global governance standards.
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“As a Board, we challenge anyone out there who has evidence of corruption within the hospital to come forward and table it so that the culprits can be brought to book as per the laid-down policies and procedures,” Bichage said.
He also stated that Nairobi Hospital’s financial base is healthy, with bed occupancy averaging above 70%.
Bichage mentioned that staff salaries are paid by the 24th of every month, and the staff’s low-interest mortgage and car loan facility are already being utilized.
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Regarding infrastructure projects and investments in medical equipment, he noted that all pending projects have been completed except those whose cases are in court or under arbitration.
Bichage said that Ksh844 million has been invested in medical equipment, and Ksh324 million in infrastructure projects in 2023/2024.
“It is important to note that both equipment acquisition and infrastructure projects have been financed through internally generated sources. We have not taken any loans to finance these heavy investments,” he said.
Further, he noted that Nairobi Hospital is a national asset and that nearly all ethnic communities are represented in its staff establishment.
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