While some specific studies (such as during a prolonged strike in Kenya) report a decline in mortality during doctor strikes, comprehensive systematic reviews and meta-analyses generally find that patient mortality is unaffected rather than consistently falling.
The claim that population or patient mortality falls during doctor strikes has mixed empirical support. While a notable study in Kenya found decreased facility-based mortality during a prolonged physician strike (attributed to drops in routine or elective patient volumes), comprehensive systematic reviews and meta-analyses (such as Alotaibi et al., 2022) as well as single-center emergency department studies (such as O'Callaghan et al., 2023) generally indicate that mortality rates do not significantly differ or are unaffected during strike periods. Because findings are divided between localized decreases and broader consensus showing no significant overall change, the verdict is CONTESTED.