Hospital strike bites as governor, medical staff fail to agree

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (left) at the Coast General Hospital with the hospital's Chief Administrator Bernard Mwero, Tuesday.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho Tuesday failed to persuade striking nurses and paramedics at Coast General Hospital in Mombasa to go back to work as the institution hurtled towards total shutdown with the closure of most departments, including eight theatres.

Many wards were empty after patients were withdrawn by relatives.

Union officials remained defiant over the delayed July salaries despite promises to pay them on Friday as rights groups and religious leaders sought an urgent solution to the crisis.

Some rights groups suggested that counties that benefit from Coast General Hospital should support its upkeep and operations. Yesterday, Mr Joho said some departments at the Coast region’s only referral hospital could be privatised even as his efforts to resolve the crisis at the facility failed to yield fruits.

Rejected promises

The governor and the nurses failed to agree as the situation at the facility deteriorated, with an estimated 80 per cent of operations grinding to a halt.

“We will commercialise some departments to raise money to operate the facility. We may enter into some sort of private-public partnership if we can’t get the money for optimal operations,” said Joho.

Nurses’ union patron Stanley Mwailoga yesterday told The Standard that nurses remained defiant and rejected promises by the county government that the salary arrears would be settled by Friday.

“Yes, we had a meeting with the governor and he assured us that money would start to trickle into our accounts by tomorrow (today) but nurses have said they will not resume work until they see the money in their accounts. Even we (officials) have tried to plead with them but they say they don’t have even fare to come to work,” said Mr Mwailago.

Expect cash

“I expect cash from the national government. If they fail to give us funds, I will go out of my way to pay from the collections and answer to the Controller of Budget later,” said the governor after visiting five-day-old Islam Said who was recovering from surgery to correct a blocked anal passage.

The Standard offices received calls from patients seeking help.