Crisis looms in hospitals as NGO withdraws staff

Plans to withdraw 200 health workers seconded to health facilities by an American donor organisation have triggered panic in the sector.

The 217 workers who were employed by the Elizabeth Glacer Paediatric Foundation (EGPAF), will stop providing services from next month in what could throw the health sector into disarray.

The workers, who included nurses, clinical officers, laboratory technicians, pharmaceutical technologists and nutritionists, were attached to various public health facilities and paid by EGPAF.

In a letter written by the county chief officer for health Jenipher Ndege on September 11, the health workers were instructed not to report to work after the end of this month.

“You are notified that your contract is ending on September 30, 2018. However, it will not be renewed because of budgetary constraints,” the letter read.

County health administrator Ely Odhiambo said EGPAF communicated to the county that it could no longer pay the workers due to shortage of funds.

“The EGPAF told us they were unable to continue paying the workers beyond September due to reduction of the funding they have been receiving. That is why they requested that prior communication be made to the affected staff,” said Mr Odhiambo.

The workers have been offering services at various health facilities in Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Suba North, Suba South, Homa Bay and Rachuonyo North sub-counties.

But Odhiambo assured residents that the department would devise modalities of working without the EGPAF-paid staff.

“We are waiting for the chief officer to return so that we undertake redeployment of health workers in all the affected facilities,” said Odhiambo.