Why Uhuru has deployed military to KNH
President Uhuru Kenyatta has deployed Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) doctors to Kenyatta National Hospital to handle emergency cases after 290 specialists joined the ongoing health workers’ strike on Thursday.
A source at the hospital said the military doctors came in around midday on Friday and have been making rounds to various departments.
In an interview with Nation.co.ke, hospital Deputy Director of Clinical Services Bernard Githae said the presence of military doctors was normal.
SAVE LIVES
A source from the military confirmed that KDF doctors are offering services at the hospital. “We want to save lives,” he said.
The deployment came as President Uhuru Kenyatta urged doctors not to make innocent patients to suffer even as the Government resolves issues they have raised.
The President said he is confident that the doctor’s dispute will be resolved by the end of the day and urged doctors to have compassion so that patients who depend on them do not suffer.
“I am very hopeful that by the end of the day we should have an agreement. We need to work together because we do not want Kenyans to suffer,” said the President when he addressed doctors at the Kericho County Hospital.
He called on the doctors to have a spirit of understanding and to look after the lives of their patients as the dispute is resolved..
SOLUTION
Mr Kenyatta said a solution will be reached that recognizes the important role that doctors and nurses play.
The President spoke after commissioning modern medical equipment at the Kericho County Hospital including dialysis machines.
President Kenyatta said doctors at the hospital have revealed that private hospitals are now referring patients to the county hospital for specialized treatment.
“The Government is working hard to improve medical services in the country but this equipment will be useless without you,” he told the doctors.
The President was accompanied by Deputy President William Ruto and local leaders.
