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Kenyan doctors returned to work Friday, two days after they reached an agreement with the government to end nearly two months of strikes that crippled hospitals and left patients in limbo, the Voice of America reported.
On Wednesday, the government and the doctors’ union which represents 7,000 physicians signed a return-to-work deal following weeks of negotiations and legal battles over salary and working conditions.
The strike began in mid-March over payment disputes. Some doctors voiced concerns over a 2017 collective-bargaining agreement, particularly regarding raises, medical insurance coverage for doctors and their dependents, and risk and emergency allowances.
Officials had previously refused to fully implement the 2017 deal because of financial constraints and concerns that other sectors would demand similar treatment for their employees.
Davji Atellah, the union secretary general, said doctors agreed to trust the government to implement a deal aimed at resolving the issues that triggered the strikes. Still, he added that the matter of hiring intern doctors is still pending, but that they will fight for it.
The walkouts put a strain on Kenya’s healthcare sector, prompting some hospitals to hire temporary doctors for emergency services, the Associated Press noted.
The strike came as Kenya reels from devastating floods that have impacted some 235,000 people since mid-March when the rainy season began.
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