In a bold move aimed at addressing the deteriorating working conditions of medical interns across the country, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has called on all medical interns to stay at home, effective immediately.
In a statement on Wednesday, November 27, KMPDU Secretary General Devji Atellah explained that the decision was reached following deliberations by branch leaders and union representatives.
"After careful deliberations by the branch leaders and the Union in entirety we are asking all the medical interns across the country in all the facilities to stay at home immediately.
"We will not afford to see any more deaths out of desperation, despair, and disillusionment that are caused by hardworking conditions. You must all stay at home as we try to discuss these matters with the government," he said.
Additionally, Atellah said medical practitioners, both in the public and the private sector, will gather at the Safari Park Hotel on November 30, 2024, to declare a strike.
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"We know it will be a sad situation at that time but the government is entirely responsible because they are failing to honour agreements and they are failing to honour court orders," he added.
This comes a day after Atellah announced the death of an intern doctor who reportedly took his own life.
In a statement on Tuesday, November 26, Atellah stated that the male intern doctor committed suicide over frustrations of working long shifts without pay.
He vowed that the union would not continue to tolerate the situation.
"Another doctor intern has tragically taken his own life this morning, a heartbreaking outcome of relentless workplace frustrations under a government that seems indifferent. Four months of working over 36-hour shifts without pay can break even the strongest among us. Our hearts ache as the medical fraternity mourns for our younger brothers and sisters. We shall not take this anymore," he said.
This latest tragedy followed that of Dr. Desree Moraa Obwogi who tragically died by suicide on September 22, 2024, with her death attributed to overwhelming work pressure.
A suicide note found beside her indicated that she faced a stressful work environment and personal challenges, including financial difficulties and excessive work hours without enough rest.
At the time, KMPDU demanded better work environments that prioritize doctors' mental health as well as timely and fair compensation.
"Dr. Moraa’s death is a sad but glaring manifestation of our country’s broken healthcare system that feeds on the unpaid and underpaid labor of young doctors and continues to undermine their safety and basic human rights.
"A workplace should not make workers feel so isolated and desperate that they believe there is no way out. The system as designed failed Dr. Moraa and many others who we have mourned before. It is a dangerous system that will continue to wreak havoc on the lives of healthcare workers," Atellah said.
