KMPDU SG Devji Atellah Hit by Teargas Canister During Protests

The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union Secretary General Davji Atellah was on Thursday hit by a teargas canister sustaining deep cuts in the forehead.

The incident happened during the protest in Nairobi.

Davji arrived at the Nairobi Hospital at around 2:15 pm through the Emergency unit.

Sources at the hospital said that Davji sustained a deep cut on the forehead.

“The cut is 3mm deep and the patient had blood stains on his clothes. He is currently being attended to because he is bleeding a lot,” the source said.

KMPDU said they had written to the Nairobi area regional police commander to provide security during the procession.

The doctors held the protest to push for the posting of medical interns.

This is even as the February deadline agreed upon in a meeting between the Ministry of Health and the doctors’ union nears the end.

According to KMPDU, 1,215 medical interns are awaiting posting with some having waited for either six months or one year.

KMPDU has since condemned the incident saying they were leading a peaceful march.

“The doctors of Kenya have endured enough! This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” KMPDU said on X.

Atellah was leading the procession of medical interns who are yet to be posted accompanied by other KMPDU officials.

However, it is alleged that hell broke loose when the procession was along Harambee Avenue and headed to the Treasury to present their grievances to the relevant officials.

The procession had started from the KMA centre to the Ministry of Health before they proceeded to the Treasury.

The doctors union is now threatening to shut down services across the country in protest of the alleged shooting.

“We are headed to Nairobi hospital. Time to shut down every hospital in this country,” Deputy SG Dennis Miskellah said.

KMPDU alleged that Atellah had been shot by the police during the protest.

But police denied claims of shooting. The officers said they suspected the official was hit by a teargas canister.

Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei denied there was a bullet fired in the incident.

“I suspect he was injured as they were running away from police who dispersed them,” he said.

He said no officer in the group of anti-riot officers was armed or fired.

“We will know more later. It could be a canister,” he said of the Thursday afternoon incident.

The union has announced that they will hold a press briefing at 4.00 pm at Nairobi Hospital to give further information.

Health care is a right! Post us… what is it! The health workers carried placards as they blew whistles along the Nairobi streets.

Others wore white hospital caps as they danced and marched along with their colleagues.

“Post medical interns! We are ready to serve Kenyans,” one of the medics was heard shouting as he carried his green placard.

“Comrade power! Comrades… let’s pray, as we match to the relevant authorities, May we find the letters ready to collect, let us not hear stories,” one of the medics was heard praying.

Last week, the union held a meeting with 611 interns in Nairobi during which it was agreed that posting of all pending interns be done by March 1.

The unions on February 15 held a meeting with the health CS Susan Nakhumicha on the matter.

The ministry blamed the delay in posting interns on the failure of the Treasury to release funds on time.

The Star

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