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A spot check in various health facilities revealed empty patient waiting bays/CFM/Ojwang Joe

County News

Kisumu’s public hospitals deserted as doctors join striking nurses, clinicians

KISUMU, Kenya, Jun 10 – Kisumu residents relying on public health care facilities now face an uncertain future after doctors deployed in county-run hospitals boycotted work, joining other healthcare workers in a strike over non-payment of salaries and risk allowances.

Nurses, clinicians, lab technicians downed their tools on Tuesday accusing Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o of maladministration.

A spot check in various health facilities revealed empty beds and waiting bays.

Across the facilities within the county, guards manning hospital gates turned away patients who visited health centres unaware of the ongoing strike.

At Kombewa Sub County Hospital, only the medical superintendent turned up for work with all the other health workers including doctors keeping away from the hospital.

At the County Referral Hospital in Kisumu, caregivers returned patients back home citing unavailability of doctors and nurses.

Mark Onyango, whose dad was admitted at Kisumu County Referral Hospital’s male surgical ward, was among those who returned home with ailing relatives.

 “I took my farther from the hospital back home in Rabuor and for the time being we will be nursing his wounds and give him pain killers for the pain as we wait and see what will be done about the strike,” he said.

Patients were issued with discharge letters on Monday and left the facility as others waited for their relatives.

Lilian Atieno, her mother was admitted to the female ward after she fell sick, but she had to return home considering the discontinuation of services.

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“Apart from blood transfusion, we have also been discharged without X-ray examination and treatment. We don’t know what next to do because we cannot afford other facilities,” she said.

Nyanza Branch Kenya Medical and Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Chairperson Kevin Osuri told the press the union was disappointed with the county government, dismissing a notice for further negotiations.

“There is no doctor in all the public health facilities across the county, our members will continue staying away until the county honors the court orders,” he said.

Kisumu Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) branch Secretary General Maurice Opetu advised members of the union to stay at home and be safe as they wait for the county government to implement their demands in full.

Opetu said the county government allocated Sh250 million in the current budget for promotions and an additional Sh38 million in the supplementary budget for the same but the money has not been paid out.

“All this money was allocated but payments for promotions have not been effected and nobody is taking responsibility,” he said.

“Our names cannot be used to embezzle public funds. They take money from the county coffers and it ends up in their pockets instead of giving it to the health workers during this pandemic” he claimed.

Last week, the County Assembly committees on Health and Labour held a meeting with the union and the county government chaired by Speaker Elisha Oraro to help resolve the dispute.

During the meeting, it was agreed that there was going to be a joint team of the assembly and the union to ensure the Executive issues promotion letters to 144 health workers who were due for promotion but have not received their letters.

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