While visiting Naivasha sub-county hospital, Kinuthia said that the blame lay squarely with the union officials for shifting goal posts and holding the doctors hostage.
''We have on various occasions tried to engage the union officials but they have either ignored our calls or refuse to engage us for reasons better known to them,'' he said. While admitting that they were ready to meet some of demands raised by the striking doctors, the governor called for reasoning and soberness in resolving the impasse.
''The union officials think that they can use the strike to have the devolved health services reverted to the national government and this is wishful thinking,'' he said. Flanked by county officials, Kinuthia ruled out promotions as called by the union officials noting that this was done last year.
''Last year we bent backwards and allowed the promotions and we cannot do this again as its illegal and against the scheme of service,'' he said. On the interns, he said that they were employed in July adding that it would be impossible to backdate their salaries to April as demanded.
Kinuthia noted that the interns came into office a month ago and had barely worked before they pushed into the strike .''The union is now demanding that we backdate their salaries to April yet they were not catered for in the budget and this amounts to abuse of office,'' he said.
He added that they would address the issue of study leave for the medics but ruled out releasing them en-mass as demanded by their union noting that this would create another crisis. The governor was however quick to add that he had set a health team to meet with the unionist and resolve the strike so that services could resume.
Kinuthia praised medics in Naivasha for shunning the strike and continuing to serve members of the public as they waited for the crisis to be resolved. ''Though the number of patients seeking services in this facility have reduced, am happy that all departments are running normally with all the clinical officers and nurses on duty,'' he said.