KMPDU Demands Medical Cover and Salary Arrears for MTRH Doctors in Fresh Welfare Push
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has issued a stern demand to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) management.
And the Ministry of Health over what it terms as persistent violations of doctors’ welfare rights.
Including the lack of comprehensive medical cover and long-standing salary arrears.
In a press briefing held outside the MTRH facility in Eldoret, KMPDU officials decried the “continued neglect and exploitation” of healthcare workers.
Stating that doctors are being subjected to appalling working conditions that undermine both their professional dignity and the quality of care provided to patients.
Key Demands by KMPDU
The union outlined three primary demands in its renewed call for reforms at MTRH:
Immediate Payment of Salary Arrears:
Doctors at MTRH, including interns and contracted staff, are reportedly owed several months of unpaid salaries.
KMPDU insists that the government and MTRH must honor employment agreements and pay the arrears without further delay.
Comprehensive Medical Cover:
Ironically, doctors serving at the national referral hospital do not have access to sufficient medical insurance for themselves and their dependents.
KMPDU General Secretary Dr. Davji Atellah criticized this as “inhumane and unacceptable,” saying, “It is appalling that doctors who save lives daily are left to fend for themselves when they fall sick.”
Improved Working Conditions and Contracts:
The union is also pushing for the formalization of employment contracts for all doctors.
Noting that some work under temporary or irregular terms despite being full-time employees.
The union claims this has become a strategy to circumvent union regulations and deny benefits to junior medical staff.
Union Accuses MTRH Management of “Deliberate Negligence”
KMPDU has accused the MTRH board and administration of deliberately frustrating dialogue on doctors’ welfare.
Dr. Atellah noted that attempts to engage the hospital administration had been ignored or met with non-committal responses.
“This is not just an administrative oversight—it is a deliberate act of negligence that continues to endanger the lives of health workers and compromise patient care,” said Dr. Atellah.
He also warned that unless the hospital and Ministry of Health engage meaningfully with the union, “a national strike targeting all referral facilities is on the table.”
Doctors Working Under Duress
A number of junior doctors at MTRH shared anonymous testimonies, describing how they are forced to report to work daily despite not being paid for months.
Some have reportedly had to borrow money to cover transport and basic needs, while others face eviction due to unpaid rent.
“We’re told we are essential workers, yet we can’t even afford to feed our families. How do you explain a doctor sleeping hungry?” one intern asked.
Ministry of Health Under Fire
This new wave of agitation from KMPDU comes barely three months after the resolution of a nationwide doctors’ strike that brought public healthcare services to a halt.
In that dispute, the Ministry of Health had committed to addressing the issues affecting health personnel nationwide.
Including pending salaries, internships, and the implementation of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).
KMPDU now accuses the ministry of failing to honor those commitments, particularly at major referral facilities like MTRH, Kenyatta National Hospital, and Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
KMPDU’s Next Move
KMPDU has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the MTRH board and Ministry of Health to:
Clear all outstanding salary arrears
Provide immediate and full medical insurance to all doctors
Begin structured engagements with the union to resolve all outstanding employment and welfare issues
If these demands are not met, the union has warned it will mobilize members for another wave of industrial action.
A Healthcare Crisis in the Making?
As Kenya continues to face chronic shortages of healthcare workers and a strained public health infrastructure.
Unresolved welfare disputes such as this one risk further destabilizing an already fragile system.
The fate of thousands of patients who rely on MTRH’s specialized services now hangs in the balance.
Unless decisive action is taken to protect and empower the doctors serving them.
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