Widespread disruptions in public health services are expected across the country starting Monday night next week, following the clinical officers’ plans to proceed with a nationwide strike affecting all government health facilities.

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) declared that the trike will commence on Monday midnight following the expiry of a 21-day strike noticed issued earlier this month.

According to the union, the strike is a result of the government’s failure to put in place a long-standing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and resolve persistent employment grievances.

KUCO officials says that talks with the Ministry of Health and county governments have not produced any results despite the repeated engagements.

The union maintains that although the salaries and Remuneration Commission cleared the CBA and indicated that funding was available, the agreement is yet to be signed and implemented.

KUCO raised several key grievances including delayed promotions, lack of clear career progression framework, poor remuneration, and failure by some county governments to coordinate salaries and pay outstanding arrears.

The union leaders maintain that the challenges have persisted for several years despite the previous commitments by authorities to have them addressed.

Clinical officers serve as critical and essential providers in public hospitals, maternity wards and community health centres across all the 47 counties in Kenya and therefore their withdrawal of services is expected to disrupt outpatient care, emergency response and routine health programmes, forcing many patients to seek medical care in private facilities or defer treatment.

Previous industrial action in the health sector have led to reduced access to care, congestion in private hospitals and delays in treatment, with vulnerable patients bearing greater impacts.

Health experts warn that a prolonged strike could further strain an already overstretched public health system.

Several county governments and the Ministry of Health have indicated that efforts to stop the strike are ongoing, with negotiations going on behind closed doors. KUCO leaders however insists that its members will proceed with the strike as planned, unless concrete commitments are made before the deadline.