The body of 28-year-old Dr Stephen Mogusu is yet to be released to his family over Sh1 million hospital bill, Reuters reports.
He had been admitted at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
In a letter from Kenya Medical Association, the deceased’s widow, with the help of other medics have failed to clear the bill.
“The life and death of the young doctor summarizes all that is wrong with government engagement with doctors,” Simon Kigondu, secretary general of the Kenya Medical Association, told Reuters.
Read: Doctors Union Wants State To Clear Dr. Mogusu’s Hospital Bill, Compensate Family
On Tuesday, medics demanded that the government clears the bill and compensate Mogusu’s young family.
“KMPDU demands that the Ministry of Health to take full responsibility for all outstanding medical bills and compensation to the family,” said KMPDU Secretary General Chibanzi Mwachonda.
Dr Mwachonda reiterated the need for the government to protect frontline healthcare workers saying the union supports the strike action taken by the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN).
Doctors held a vigil for the fallen hero outside Afya House but ministry officials did not address them.
Read Also: KMPDU Mourns 28-year-old Doctor Stephen Mogusu Who Succumbed To COVID-19
“It’s not worth dying for this system. If I could tell anything to my younger self, it would be don’t join medicine,” Mogusu’s former classmate said.
Doctors were supposed to down their tools on December 7 but suspended the strike to give room for dialogue.
They are demanding for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), medical insurance, among other things.
Nurses and clinical officers have on the other hand suspended their services until their demands are met.
They want families of 26 nurses who succumbed to Covid-19 compensated, medical insurance and risk allowance.
“How many nurses must die for the government to come in? We need an insurance cover for our nurses before we can go back to work,” Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Secretary General Seth Panyako said.
Hospitals are slowly closing their doors as the strike enters day four.
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