KENYAN doctors stopped providing emergency services at public hospitals today as they escalated a national strike that entered its second week.

Thousands of doctors have stayed away from hospitals since last Thursday over poor pay and working conditions, despite a court order calling for talks between the doctors and the Health Ministry.

Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union secretary-general Dr Davji Bhimji said the doctors escalated the strike and stopped providing bare-minimum services because the government had shown no efforts to resolve the dispute.