Nyong'o orders nurses back to work as patients suffer

An empty Ward 2 at Kisumu County Hospital in a picture taken on February 08,2019. Patients left the institution following nurses' strike to seek alternative treatment elsewhere. (Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard)

Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has directed all nurses in the county to immediately resume work as their pay dispute is handled by the Council of Governors and the National Government.

The nurses had defied a court order declaring their strike illegal. In a press briefing yesterday, Nyong’o directed all the nurses to report back to their stations by 4pm or face unspecified consequences.

Nyong’o, who spoke after a meeting with top officials at the county’s Health Department said since the Industrial and Labour Relations Court sitting in Nairobi had pronounced itself on the matter and conciliation process spearheaded by the CoG has begun, the health workers ought to restore services.

He said the strike was a threat to a critical service and threatened to absorb “several nurses on the job queue to replace anyone who fails to oblige.”