KMPDU CEO Davji Atellah at Governor Abdulswamad Nassir’s office on Tuesday / BRIAN OTIENO
Governor Abdulswamad Nassir with doctors of the CGTRH at his on Tuesday / BRIAN OTIENO
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Doctors at the second biggest referral hospital in the country, the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, last evening called off their strike which was to start today.

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It took the intervention of Governor Abdulswamad Nassir to convince the medics change their minds.

They had complained of persistent labour grievances in the county.

Last Tuesday, the doctors, under the banner of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, wrote to the Mombasa county secretary, Faruk Jeizan, citing several issues which remain unresolved despite their numerous attempts at diplomatic engagement.

“While the county has made some strides in salary payment strides, it has remained wilfully negligent regarding fundamental human resource, governance and contractual obligations that affect the very survival and professional dignity of our members,” the notice, signed by KMPDU Secretary General and CEO Davji Atellah, read in part.

The matters of concern included non-compliance with the 2021 Return-To-Work formula; chronic career stagnation and pending redesignations; exploitative contractual employment and manual payroll disparities; illegal withholding of statutory and third-party deductions; political interference and procedural hostility, and what they termed as the unprocedural interdiction of former CGTRH CEO Iqbal Khandwalla.

Khandwalla has since been exonerated from any wrongdoing by the county government after the board investigated allegations against him, but he resigned from his position as CEO.

On Tuesday evening, hours before the start of the strike, Governor Nassir initiated dialogue with the doctors saying the welfare of the county’s health workers has always been his administration’s top priority.

“Our administration has always maintained that the welfare of our health workers is not negotiable.

“Mombasa continues to lead the way in prioritising timely payment of salaries, structured promotions, expanded training opportunities, and formal recognition of medical specialisation within our facilities,” Nassir said.

He said a motivated and respected workforce is central to delivering quality healthcare to Mombasa's people.

“We remain committed to sustained engagement with our doctors and all healthcare professionals to ensure that our hospitals reflect professionalism, stability and excellence in service delivery,” Nassir said.

He assured residents that services across public health facilities will continue uninterrupted.

“Dialogue works, and in Mombasa, we choose solutions over standoffs,” he said.

Earlier, Attellah, who was in Mombasa to lead the intended industrial action, said doctors were 120 per cent ready to down their tools.

“If we meet the county leadership, they will first have to explain to us how they will fulfill their end of the bargain before we start any negotiations,” Atellah told journalists.

He said the issues that they were pushing for are issues that have been implemented in other counties.

He once again faulted the dismissal of Khandwalla saying it was neither constructive not in goodwill.

“He is no longer the CEO but just a doctor at the facility. We were told the things he was accused of were not his doing. We want to know whose doing was it then? If a doctor is not at fault, why was he given a constructive dismissal?” Atellah posed.

He said this needs to be made clear and warned that the position may take a long tim e to be filled because people now are not interested in that position if politicians will continue interfering with their works.

“That political interference at the CGTRH must cease,” he said.

He said although Khandwalla resigned, the circumstances under which he resigned remain a mystery.

“We don’t know. Maybe there was a gun to his head. Maybe they wanted to kidnap his children. We must be told. You cannot be interdicted today after threats from a politician, and then in the middle of the night we hear that you have resigned. It is not open. We must know what happened,” Atellah said.

He said doctors cannot work under circumstances that make them feel they are vulnerable and not protected.