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KNUN General Secretary Seth Panyako joined Nurses from Nakuru County on February 18,2019. Tana River nurses have reached an agreement with county government calling off their strike as a result. [Photo:Harun Wathari/Standard]
Nurses in Tana River County have resumed duties after seven days deserting work in various health facilities in the county for the past one week.
The nurses led by branch Union Secretary Mr. Darmon Kwaraa said on Sunday that the union has reached an agreement with the county government and solved several factors that necessitated the strike
"...we have agreed unanimously with the deputy governor and executive member for health to arrange for return to work formular as to go back to our working station by latest today (Monday)" he said in his statement to the press.
On Monday last week nurses downed their tools in all Heath facilities forcing in patients escaping from wards due to lack of attention.
All wards at Hola County Referral Hospital were shut after which patients opted to seek service at nearby Siha Clinic.
Maternity ward was adversely affected with expectant mothers suffering as nurses left them with labor pains.
Earlier, Governor Dhadho Godhana appealed to the nurses to call off the strike.
Meanwhile the Taita-Taveta County Government has agreed to pay striking nurses their pending January salaries, enhanced nursing and uniform allowances by next week.
This was after the Health Executive Daniel Makoko and senior health officials were taken to task by the Assembly Health Committee to explain why nurses had not been paid their January salaries they had worked for.
The county assembly committee on health coerced the CEC, intimidated him with impeachment and even threatened to “detain” him over night at the chambers should he fail to agree to pay the nurses.
The stormy meeting to end the stalemate ended at 8 pm on Thursday night.
“We will detain you (CEC) and your team at this chambers over night until you agree to pay nurses what is rightful theirs. We will also ensure that your salaries are also suspended so as you can feel the pitch the nurses are facing,” warned Mboghoni Ward Representative Jones Maskuj.
“I buried a boda boda operator in my ward this week who died after failing to get medical care at Taveta Sub County Hospital. You either agree to pay the nurses now or else we will all spend the night in the chambers,” the Jubilee legislator warned.
The CEC and his team were summoned by the assembly committee chaired by Reverend Frank Mmare to explain why the county administration had not resolved the
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