Nairobi — Patients have been stranded in various hospitals across the country as the doctors' strike by Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) kicked off Thursday despite a court order declaring it illegal.

Patients seeking treatment at various public facilities were turned away and referred to other private institutions.

The patients who turned up in Nakuru, Mombasa and Nyeri County Hospitals appealed to the county administration to urgently find a solution to the crisis and end the suffering of many.

Doctors in Nyanza region responded to the start of the strike as they kept off their work stations.

KMPDU Nyanza Region Representative Steve Ndonga said they do not recognize the court order since it was issued only to the Kenyatta National Hospital.

He empathized with the patients telling them to bear with the doctors who are fighting for their just right.

A spot check in public hospitals in Kisumu revealed minimal activities while the Health CEC Gregory Ganda was held in a meeting, as calls went unanswered.