Patients feel pain as health workers resume their strike

Health services remain paralysed in Kisumu County hospitals after medics resumed their strike over three months' salary arrears.

Doctors, clinical officers, nurses and other carders of hospital workers kept off the facilities, accusing the county government of reneging on its promise to pay them last Friday.

The health workers had signed a return-to-work agreement with Governor Anyang' Nyong'o, and resumed duty after they were promised their pay would be banked last Friday.

But the workers from the county's 132 public health facilities resumed the strike on Saturday, paralysing services.

Through their union officials - Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (Kuco) and Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (Kumlo) - the medics said the county had failed to meet its end of the bargain. They asked members to down tools.

In the agreement signed by county officials and the health workers on September 26, Prof Nyong'o's administration promised to settle the pending three months' salaries and statutory deductions by last Friday.

In a fresh strike notice issued on Friday evening, the medics stated that there was no money in any worker’s account, advising the staff to stay away from their workstations until the salaries were paid.

Knun branch Secretary Maurice Opetu accused the county officials of failing to honour their promises even after giving the workers a date on which to expect their salaries.

“We will down our tools until the last man is paid all the dues, however long it takes,” Mr Opetu said.

A spot check in health facilities showed that all wards at Kisumu county hospital were closed and a few wards at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital were open with contracted nurses taking care of victims of the last Friday's accident in Awasi that had left 13 dead and many nursing injuries.

According to CEO Peter Okoth, the facility was discharging stable patients and not admitting new cases due to the strike.

Other facilities

“We are encouraging caregivers to take their patients to other facilities where they can get medical care,” said Dr Okoth.

The facility, he said, will have at least two contracted nurses for each of its 10 wards.

Kuco Secretary Craus Okumu said the strike was suspended for a week after the workers trusted county officials.

“We have not been paid for the last three months. We will stay out and find alternative ways to fend for our families,” said Okumu.