Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o now says doctors from the county who are participating in the ongoing nationwide strike will not receive their salaries for the period they have been away from work.
Nyong’o on Thursday disclosed that he had instructed the County Secretary and the County Public Service Board to stop the salaries insisting his administration will not pay for services not rendered.
“In accordance with the Labour Relations Act, the county will not provide remuneration for work not performed. Therefore, healthcare workers who have not been at their designated workplace and have withdrawn their services will not be remunerated for the corresponding period,” he said.
To address the strain on health services, especially at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), Nyong’o said the county government has set in motion the process to recruit doctors on short-term contracts to offer essential services.
This follows the withdrawal of services by doctors on post-graduate training crippling services at the referral facility.
Nyong’o described the strike as unfortunate since, he says, his government has maintained regular engagements with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nyanza region progressively addressing their concerns.
Among the issues addressed, he said was the enrollment of all the workers, the doctors included in a comprehensive medical scheme, and the employment of doctors where 32 have been recruited over the last three years.
Doctors, he said, have continuously been released for further studies based on training needs.
On promotions, he said, all the doctors apart from senior consultants have been promoted with the most recent letters issued in March 2024.
He further says the county government has always made efforts to release doctors’ salaries on time with contingency plans in place to weather delays from the National Treasury.
According to Nyong’o, posting interns was beyond the scope of the county government adding that it was regrettable that a section of health workers opted to walk out of their workstations despite all the efforts made to make their working environment conducive.
His government, he said was committed to addressing all the challenges facing the sector in collaboration with the health workers.
“I urge all stakeholders in the sector to continue engaging in constructive dialogue to find lasting solutions that prioritize the health and welfare of our communities,” he said.
