Doctors strike to protest the lack of PPE and insurance

Pregnant women were told to seek assistance at private hospitals unless giving birth or suffering complications as Kenyan doctors continued on strike Tuesday. Doctors and other crucial medical personnel in public hospitals started a nationwide strike to protest against the lack of personal protective equipment and health insurance for frontline workers fighting against the spread of the coronavirus on Monday.

Heavily pregnant Sakina Aoko said she was told at Nairobi's Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital to "go to a private facility". The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union announced its 7,200 members have been asked to stop working until the government meets their demands.

This means a majority of Kenyan medical personnel in public hospitals are picketing amid a growing pandemic. Kenya has reported 94,500 COVID-19 cases since the first positive case was detected in mid-March and 1,639 deaths.