According to Atellah, the intern doctor was subjected to working shifts of over 36 hours without pay.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah expressed his sadness while announcing that another medical intern died by suicide on Tuesday, November 26.
While he did not outrightly mention his name, it was reported that Dr Francis Njeru, a medical intern (pharmacist) at Thika level 5 hospital took his life after working for only four months.
According to Atellah, the intern doctor was subjected to working shifts of over 36 hours without pay.
“Another doctor intern has tragically taken his own life this morning, a heartbreaking outcome of relentless workplace frustrations under a government that seems indifferent.
Doctors on strike outside Parliament Buildings and Bunge Tower on April 30, 2024. /MARVIN CHEGE.VIRAL TEA KE
“Four months of working over 36-hour shifts without pay can break even the strongest among us. Our hearts ache as the medical fraternity mourns for our younger brothers and sisters. We shall not take this anymore,” he remarked.
Several Kenyans had taken to social media to comment on the sudden demise of the doctor. Dr. Andrew Suleh said, “So sad, so painful, so unbearable.”
Another user, Dr. Kareem, said, “Another sad day for the medical interns’ fraternity. I have no words. We’ve lost two interns to suicide in a span of two months. This tragedy is a result of the actions of the Ministry of Health officials, and it is imperative that they take responsibility.”
X user Dr. Austin Omondi said, “Two medical interns have died by suicide in the last two months alone. How many more need to go before an intervention and a lasting solution? So sad.”
This comes months after Dr Desree Moraa Obwogi, an intern doctor, tragically died by suicide on Sunday, September 22, with Atellah revealing two days later that she was working under treacherous conditions that posed a major threat to her safety.
“We regret the untimely passing of Dr. Desree Moraa Obwogi, a young, dedicated doctor whose life was tragically cut short,” the KMPDU boss mourned.
“Dr. Desree was working as an intern at Gatundu Level 5 Hospital under very difficult, dangerous and indecent conditions that did not guarantee her safety and overall well-being. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends, and colleagues who will be forever impacted by this unimaginable loss.”
Atellah lamented that the demise of the medical intern was a sad but glaring manifestation of the broken state of Kenya’s healthcare system which has not only been accused of failing to remit and underpay hardworking young doctors but continuously undermining their safety and basic human rights.
According to him, “a workplace should not make workers feel so isolated and desperate that they believe there is no way out.”
“The system as designed failed Dr. Moraa and many others who we have mourned before. It is a dangerous system that will continue to wreak havoc on the lives of healthcare workers. We must together resist it,” Atellah added in his clarion call.
To get to the bottom of the matter, he called for widespread resistance to a modern-day level of exploitation and challenge embedded structural failures that take a huge toll on the mental health of medical workers, leading to tragic deaths similar to that of Dr Moraa.
Beforehand, intern doctors began withdrawing their services temporarily after indicating they would do so the previous day in solidarity with their fallen colleague.
According to the police and the late medical practitioner’s family, Moraa penned a suicide note where she cited an unending toxic working environment and financial constraints caused by non-payment for her services.
