N abado watakua wana-whatsapp while doing ward rounds. Doctors should give us reason(s) for their demands. As things stand, they've just zero-ed in on the salaries. They don't care about the quality of equipment in the facilities. They steal them. On average, a Kenyan doctor who practices in a public facility has performed poorly in his/her practice. That's my opinion and it is from experience. They can blame the equipment/facilities all they want but aren't the same facilities used to train them? Whenever, a new medical equipment/supplies are brought in, they either run them down within a very short time or steal them for their private practice.

Lastly, I strongly oppose the idea of govt doctors working privately. That said, madaktari hawafai kuongezwa mishahara. Tupunguze mishahara na marupurupu ya wanasiasa na commissioners of all those useless commissions.

There is a thread right here on wazua where users have explained clearly what they have to go through the health care system.

When I see some comments over here I really do understand why we have such bad voters.

The reason you have a union is so that you as a member of the union agitate for your OWN PERSONAL rights. Not the rights of the majority.

So in this case, the doctors have said, that their terms and conditions are terrible. They want better terms.

If that means 300% pay increase or 1% pay increase, that's what it means.

Now we as users of these terrible health care facilities can complain as much as we wish about doctors asking for better terms of service. But we are not union members to to be honest, its none of our business.

We as users of these terrible health care facilities should be on strike asking for better hospitals. But we are not. We are here complaining that our neighbour is getting a bigger pay check than me. That's what we call wivu. A deadly sin in the catholic church.

Wewe ulipo. If you think your salary is ok and you feel very gracious to the country, stick with your terms and conditions and be happy. But stop complaining when someone else wants better pay and is insisting on it.

If you feel that doctors are paid great wages, then take the Jubilee and governors call and please apply for those doctor's jobs. I'm sure you shall be happy.

For me as a user and having gone through this so called public health care system, all I can do is vote in the person who's going to make sure that health care works in this country.

For the union leaders and members, their concern is their children. And that's just how life is. For the politician, their concern is losing votes and adding an extra imprest item to their pay.

Doctors are just making people realise that the system is dead. The populace doesn't care about their own needs. So why should they care about your needs. Let them tetea themselves.

#Borrowed from Ouma Oluga, KPMDU Secretary General
We have been told by government that implementing the CBA will cost 12B but WE have done our Mathematics and WE know for sure it'll cost 8.1B per financial year, ONLY. But giving them the benefit of doubt and assuming that it'll cost 12B, it's informative to let you and Kenyans know that every financial year, Kenya pays India 10B through the NHIF and out of the ultimate pooled 51B we as Kenyan citizens remit to NHIF as social health insurance, 33B goes to private hospitals! Private hospitals treat a paltry 1% of the population. Therefore WE as doctors are saying that the GoK needs to take a measly 12B (in their figures) to treat the 99% of Kenyans. At this point Kenyans, realise that this is your war and we're only leading the warfronts, the lines of fire!
The total public health expenditure vote now stands at 150B, the amount that currently goes to Doctors' remuneration is 3.6B that's less than 2.5% of it all. Using their figures, we painfully realise on behalf of the 99% of Kenyans that they're being denied such quality healthcare which if the CBA is implemented at their 12B figure translates to only less than 5% of the whole public health expenditure budget!

It doesn't make sense at all. If you are running a matatu that brings in 10k per day the driver cant wake up one day and demand that you pay him 5k per day coz you are making 10k.

Also when the doctors say that 33B goes to private hospitals, what they are not telling us is that they are the same ones who consult in those private hospitals and eat the 33B.

Also when they say that 10B goes to India how come our doctors can't treat the cases referred to India. Kwani our doctors walisomea kwa dirisha when their indian counterparts were concentrating, or our medical curriculum is different? Wasn't there a scandal recently where it was revealed that indian hospitals pay our doctors kickbacks of upto 100,000 per patient to refer patients to india for treatment that could be done locally? <<RINK>>

When they talk of working conditions, hasnt govt provided the latest machines and equipment that are even better than those in some top private hospitals? Aren't these the same doctors who spend only 40% of their time at public hospitals while 60% is spent in their private clinics or consulting at private hospitals?

Surely wanjiko cant be surviving on 1 dollar a day and then forced to pay doctors 1m each pm.

At least you have the luxury of that choice!
How many Kenyans enjoy that luxury!