Over 30 guards block hospital to protest pay delays

Over 30 private guards at Naitiri Sub-District Hospital yesterday blocked health workers from accessing the facility as they (guards) protested against salary delays.

The security personnel contracted by Pride Kings Security Company said they had not been paid for eight months and were unable to meet their family obligations.

Job Mabonga narrated how his wife and children had fled from their matrimonial home after he failed to feed and educate them.

"Since we were contracted, we haven't been paid a single cent, yet we have families to feed. That's why we have decided to bar all nurses and doctors from entering the hospital until the county government ends this pay dispute," said Mr Mabonga.

He said the security firm was contracted to offer services to all county government public institutions, which had failed to pay the company so that it could in turn wire the guards' salaries to their accounts.

"We will soon hold the mother of all demonstrations up to the county headquarters to protest the pay delay if we are not going to be paid in time," he said.

PARALYSED SERVICES

The four-hour ordeal paralysed services at the busy health facility until the guards were promised they would be paid soon.

Contacted, Pride Kings Operations Director Robert Namwetakho said the county government was yet to pay for the services.

"We are demanding over Sh13 million from the county government," said Mr Namwetakho, adding he had over 111 guards assigned to various public institutions.

Public Administration Chief Officer David Kibiti called on contractors and suppliers to be patient as they work on ways to pay them.

"We have the problem with the e-procurement but we are going to pay them very soon, what we ask is perseverance from the owner of the company," he said.

Meanwhile, the Busia country administration has asked health workers to call off their strike and resume duty immediately.

Acting Health Executive Martin Kafwa said the industrial action, which had resulted in the death of three people, was uncalled for.

The health employees were demanding an end to delays in payment of salaries, salary arrears from 2013 to 2015 and non-practising allowance for employees who were engaged from May 1, 2015.

Among those who died because of the strike are a mother and her child as more patients continue to suffer due to lack of medical services in public hospitals across the county.

At the Busia County Teaching and Referral Hospital, the main facility in the county, no health services were being offered as wards remained empty.

Mortuary services have also been paralysed, forcing families coming to collect bodies of their kin to go back empty-handed.

"Health staff should resume their duties immediately. They should stop their scheme of striking to portray the county government as having failed to handle health, which is a devolved function," said Kafwa, flanked by chief officer Dr Asoka Itur and County Director of Health Dr Melsa Lutomia.

He said the industrial action was against a memorandum of understanding signed between the county government and medical practitioners.

"The strike has completely paralysed services in all our hospitals, some health centres and dispensaries. This is causing unnecessary suffering to patients and relatives across the county," he said.

"We are now appealing to health workers to resume duties without delay or we shall give recommendations to the county executive on the action to be taken on those who have defied the orders," he added.