The lives of several patients admitted to public facilities across the country were yesterday hanging by a thread as facilities suspended vital services following the doctor’s strike.

In maternity wards, expectant mothers requiring urgent checkups were in agony while patients requiring urgent surgeries were on the verge of losing hope. 

For some patients, the absence of doctors meant that they could not even get a green light for a referral or a discharge to enable them to get help in private facilities. Other facilities hurriedly discharged patients prematurely, leaving their relatives in a state of confusion.  

Cynthia Nafula* held her wheezing 15-month-old son Jasper tightly, desperation etched across her face as they were turned away from the paediatric unit at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi.

Jasper’s* appointment with the paediatrician he had been seeing for months was abruptly cancelled - a casualty of the nationwide strike. She was among the many mothers whose children were scheduled for appointments with doctors but were turned away.

A clinical officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said the impact of the doctors’ strike has been particularly devastating on the hospital’s inpatient wards and critical care units. The hospital’s paediatric units has closed, and currently, doctors who are employed by the hospital are the ones attending to patients although services are slow despite the crowding waiting bays.

“Critical condition patients are simply not being attended to,” said the clinical officer, who asked to remain anonymous. 

At Mombasa’s Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, Ngina Kimuyu was distraught and stranded with her sickly father who needed urgent heart surgery.

The old man, 72, was admitted to the hospital three months ago waiting for his turn to undergo surgery to stop the heart from swelling. On Thursday, Ms Kimuyu said she had secured blood to facilitate her father’s surgery.

However, her excitement was cut short after she received a call asking her to pick the old man up because the surgery would not take place due to the doctor’s strike.

She said her father had waited for surgery for three months due to high patient numbers at the hospital. CGTRH is the biggest referral hospital that serves all six counties of Mombasa, Taita Taveta, Lamu, Tana River, Kwale, and Kilifi.

Ms Kimuyu’s voice trembled as she struggled to hold back her tears. “Where am I supposed to take him now?” she pleaded, adding that the hospital had also insisted that she must pay the admission fee and other bills before they could discharge the patient.

Blood transfusion

“My dad has been discharged yet for three months he has not been able to sit because his heart is swollen. He was supposed to go into the theater yesterday but we were told he needed blood transfusion,” said Kimuyu.

However, Kimuyu’s predicament was not unique as patients in public hospitals at the Coast were left stranded after they were discharged as the nationwide doctors’ strike entered its second day.

Mariam Angaja had brought back the X-ray of her fractured fingers but found no doctor to attend to her. She was seated outside the CGTRH waiting for a friend, who is a doctor, who promised to help attend to her.

“I brought my X-ray but the medical practitioners’ strike has affected us. Up to now, I am yet to get medical services. I had one doctor who told me he would come to help, I don’t know if he will come or not. Maybe he is scared of other doctors,” said Angaja.

In Taita Taveta, Health Executive Gifton Mkaya also confirmed that critical services in public hospitals have been suspended following a doctor’s strike that entered its second day.

“The strike which started on Wednesday night is on and the national government is having talks in a bid to solve it. Yesterday they had a tripartite meeting. The ministries of health and labour and KMPDU met and we are waiting for the outcomes of the meeting,” Dr Mkaya said.

In Mount Kenya region, a visit to the Nyeri County Referral hospital revealed long queues of unattended patients.

John Kinyua a resident of Karatina, arrived at the hospital at 6am but by 11am, he had not been attended to. He was at the facility to collect his diabetes drugs.

“I came here so early hoping that I would be assisted, unfortunately, it’s now 11am and nothing has happened. I have not seen the doctor, and I am not sure if I will get my drugs today. We have been affected by the doctors’ strike,” he stated.

Similar sentiments came from Julius Kamau who hails from Tetu in Nyeri. Kamau had an appointment with the dentist, but when he arrived at the hospital the dental section was closed.

“I just got here some minutes ago but I am hopeful that I will be attended to, though the dental section is closed. I had an appointment with the dentist. I want the government and the doctors to agree because we are suffering,” said Kamau.

Brenda Nyabuto, the Nyeri KMPDU representative, said they are in solidarity with their colleagues and that they will only resume services after the government heeds their demands.

In Nyanza, expectant mothers and patients with terminal illnesses are in limbo following the strike which has so far made it difficult to access public health facilities.

Patients of tuberculosis in particular are among those on the receiving end following the doctor’s strike after they failed to find doctors at several facilities in Kisumu, Siaya, and Homa Bay.

Normally, they are assigned complete packs to last them for six months. Some require frequent checkups by a medical doctor.

This was the case for Mercy Achieng, a patient, who had gone for a refill and a checkup by a doctor at Jaramogi Teaching and Referral Hospital but had to return home because of the strike.

“Being a stable patient, I go for refills every two weeks and check-ups as I am in my first phase of treatment,” said Achieng.

Homa Bay KMPDU Liaison Officer Ochieng Otana said they will boycott work until the strike is called off by their national office.

“We have downed our tools because doctors’ demands must be met,” Dr Otana said.

In Western, patients remained stranded in Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, and Vihiga counties yesterday as the effects of the ongoing doctor’s strike started being felt in the region.

[Report by Maryann Anyango, Joachim Bwana, Anne Atieno, Jackline Inyanji, James Omoro and Clement Masombo]  The Standard

A top Tanzanian official has announced plans to open a new border post with Rwanda, as part of a raft of measures to scale up ties between the two East African countries.

January Makamba, Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, who has just wound up a visit to Rwanda, says the proposed border crossing will be set up in Tanzania's Kyerwa district in Kagera Region.

The two countries mainly rely on Rusumo border post to transact business.

Tanzania's top diplomat was on a four-day visit to Rwanda since March 12, leading a delegation of senior officials from the Ministries of Transport, Trade and Industry, ICT, Agriculture, Energy, and other key parastatals.

While reflecting on the key outcomes of his visit in a lengthy post on X, Makamba said President Paul Kagame reaffirmed the friendship between the two countries, describing them as "neighbours, brothers and sisters, joined by geography, history and culture -- and a shared destiny".

Reflecting on his audience with President Kagame, Minister Makamba said, "His guidance on advancing our relations was insightful."

Rwanda is the third largest user of Dar es Salaam port with more than 80 per cent of its cargo passing through it, with 1.4 million metric tonnes of cargo and 63,000 containers processed at the port in 2023 alone.

'Tanzanian farmers will benefit from Rwanda diary investment'

Makamba said: “We have also decided to work on opening a new border post in Kyerwa District in Kagera region to enable easier movement of goods and people.”

Makamba recalled that Tanzania offered Rwanda pieces of land set set up dry ports at Isaka and Kwala, urging the private sector to leverage the opportunity, and noting that Tanzania had the potential to become Rwanda’s number one trading partner.

"We’ve committed to be a reliable partner...and we’re keen to expand (business). Tanzania is Rwanda’s second largest trading partner. The potential to be first exists. We are going to work on it. Rwandans buy a lot cereals from Tanzania.

"We’ve decided to regularise this market. Rwanda has invested in diary factory in Mwanza, where farmers will get lucrative market for milk. We have ensured the success of this venture. We plan to do joint agriculture research through an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on Agriculture Cooperation that will sign in May."

He added: “Rwanda uses Tanzania broadband infrastructure for a certain amount of capacity in its connectivity. We have committed to be a reliable partner in this area and we are keen to expand this business.”

'We are friends'

“We must work together to solve common challenges and prioritise things that will improve the lives of people from our two countries. The bilateral relations between our two countries have always been excellent and they keep improving to greater heights.”

The message of President Kagame "to me and my delegation was clear: we are friends, neighbours and brothers and sisters, joined by geography, history and culture - and a shared destiny," he said. "We must work together to solve common challenges and prioritise things that will improve the lives of people from our two countries."

The Tanzania minister added, "The bilateral relations between our two countries have always been excellent. They keep improving to greater heights. As diplomats, this is what we live for: to always improve on relations."

Rwanda's Biruta weighs in

Reacting to Makamba's social media comments, his Rwandan counterpart Dr Vincent Biruta posted on X on Thursday: "Thank you Minister @JMakamba for your successful visit to Rwanda and for our rich exchanges. It was a pleasure to host you and your delegation."

He added, "Looking forward to strengthening our bilateral relations through increased trade, investment and people-to-people interactions."

Rwanda and Tanzania are both members of the East African Community, an eight-nation bloc that seeks to foster socioeconomic and political integration among member states. - Alice Kagina, The New Times

South Sudan has assured that there will be maximum security at the Kenya-Sudan border and on South Sudan roads for Kenyan drivers transporting cargo into the country.

This was assured by the South Sudan Revenue Authority Commissioner of Customs, Adout Ajang, who met the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managing director, William Ruto, yesterday.

“The commissioner also engaged industry players assuring of security at the border with Kenya and on South Sudan Roads following concerns by Kenyan Drivers,” KPA stated on X.

Furthermore, the commissioner promised that South Sudan will implement the new Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) cargo clearance system that will enable the smooth clearance of South Sudan cargo.

“Equally, Mr. Aduot announced the implementation of a needed ECTN cargo clearance system by South Sudan that will soon be launched, to facilitate smooth clearance of South Sudan cargo,” they stated.

Acknowledging the enormous contribution that South Sudan plays in the transit markets for the Port of Mombasa, the two parties engaged in discussions for other opportunities for the transit markets, like in the Naivasha Inland Container Depot and the upcoming Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zones project in Mombasa.

“South Sudan is one of the major transit markets for the port of Mombasa with cargo volumes through Mombasa from the market steadily rising over the years.” 

“To better facilitate this key market, KPA has continually engaged with the stakeholders, to understand the unique needs,” it added. By Ken Muthomi, Capital News