The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has called on the government to involve doctors directly in decisions on Ebola preparedness and response, warning that frontline health workers should not be left to implement plans they had no role in shaping.
Speaking during a union retreat in Naivasha, KMPDU national chairperson Dr Abidan Mwachi said doctors had valuable knowledge of hospital conditions and the challenges facing medical staff.
He argued that their experience was essential to developing effective measures to contain the outbreak and protect health workers.
“We are consumers of the plan given to us by the Ministry of Health,” Mwachi said, criticising what he described as the limited role doctors played in shaping the response.
He said medical professionals understood the gaps in the healthcare system and the steps needed to address them.
“We are saying, as doctors, we know when the healthcare sector is sick, we know what needs to be done,” he said.
Mwachi added that doctors faced a heightened risk of exposure because of their direct contact with patients. He called for their expertise to be considered in decisions on prevention, treatment and hospital preparedness.
“We are demanding that the doctors in the country, who by the very virtue of what they do know the insights of what happens in our hospitals, be included in the decision-making systems for preparedness and tackling [Ebola],” he said.
The union wants the government to act immediately as health authorities work to contain the outbreak.
“We must be included immediately, where immediately means now and now means right now,” Mwachi said.
Kenya steps up Ebola response
KMPDU’s demand comes as Kenya intensifies its response to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. According to the report, five additional cases had been confirmed, bringing the total to eight, including one death.
The rising case count has renewed concerns about the safety of frontline health workers and the effectiveness of measures to prevent further infections.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said it was working with the Kenyan government and other partners to support surveillance, technical coordination, public communication and community engagement.
The agency said the early identification of additional cases highlighted the importance of tracing contacts, monitoring potential infections and isolating cases promptly.
“Their early identification demonstrates the critical role of contact tracing, surveillance and timely isolation in interrupting transmission and protecting communities,” Africa CDC said.
The agency also praised the Ministry of Health and national public health institutions for their leadership and the measures taken to respond to the outbreak.
However, KMPDU maintains that the response must give doctors a direct role in decisions affecting their work and safety.
The union’s call puts frontline medical workers’ participation at the centre of the debate over Kenya’s Ebola preparedness, as health authorities continue efforts to limit transmission and protect communities.
