Kisumu’s public health system is facing further disruption after doctors joined nurses in an ongoing strike, leaving patients with limited access to essential medical services across the county.
Doctors went on strike on Tuesday, after a 21-day notice issued by their union expired without an agreement being reached with the government.
Their action came as nurses in Kisumu entered the 22nd day of their strike, prolonging the disruption of services in public health facilities.
The simultaneous strikes have raised concerns over the ability of public hospitals to provide care, with patients seeking treatment forced to contend with reduced staffing and possible delays in accessing services.
The doctors, through Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) secretary general and CEO Davji Atellah, had issued the 21-day notice as they pushed the county government to address their grievances before resorting to industrial action.
In the notice, the union said the decision followed the failure by the county government to honour commitments made during a consultative meeting held in January.
The union said the parties had agreed that key human resource and welfare issues affecting doctors would be resolved within 90 days.
However, KMPDU said the 90-day period lapsed without concrete action from the county leadership, prompting the union to issue a further 30-day ultimatum.
“Persistent failure by the county government to honour its commitments” had left the union with no option but to issue the strike notice, it said.
One of the key grievances is the failure to implement overdue promotions and designations for eligible doctors across various cadres.
The union said the promotions should be undertaken in line with established public service guidelines and career progression frameworks.
KMPDU also raised concern over what it described as a severe shortage of doctors in county health facilities, saying the situation was overburdening available staff and compromising healthcare standards.
Another major issue is the employment status of doctors working on contractual terms. The union accused the county government of failing to convert eligible doctors to permanent and pensionable terms despite repeated assurances.
With the deadline expiring without a resolution, the medics proceeded with the strike on Tuesday.
The doctors’ strike adds to the pressure already facing Kisumu’s health sector, where nurses have been away from work for more than three weeks.
The nurses’ strike has affected operations in public facilities, with patients reporting challenges in accessing routine services, treatment and other forms of care.
The latest development is likely to put further pressure on the remaining health workers and facilities that continue to serve patients during the industrial action.
The two strikes have also sparked concern among residents who rely heavily on public hospitals because they cannot afford treatment in private facilities.
Mark Nyatu said the simultaneous strikes were frustrating for patients who rely on public hospitals for affordable healthcare.
“It is ordinary people who are suffering. When you go to a public hospital, you expect to get treatment, but now both nurses and doctors are on strike. The government needs to sit down with the health workers and resolve this,” he said.
Mary Oluoch, another Kisumu resident, said the prolonged nurses’ strike had made it difficult for patients to access services before doctors joined the industrial action.
“The nurses have been on strike for 22 days and now the doctors have also stopped working. Where are patients supposed to go? Not everyone can afford private hospitals,” she said.
The prolonged industrial action has placed the county’s health system under increasing strain, with calls mounting for the government and health workers’ unions to return to negotiations and find a lasting solution.
As the doctors’ strike enters its second day, patients and their families are facing uncertainty over when normal services will resume.
Instant analysis
Kisumu’s health crisis is deepening as doctors join nurses in a prolonged strike, creating a rare double disruption in the county’s public hospitals. The dispute exposes persistent weaknesses in human resource management, including delayed promotions, staffing shortages and unresolved contractual issues. Beyond the labour dispute, the biggest concern is the impact on ordinary residents who depend on affordable public healthcare. Without urgent negotiations, service disruptions could worsen and further strain remaining facilities.
