Health:Crisis as strike kicks off

Operations in public health facilities were today paralyzed after health care workers downed their tools over several grievances.

The health workers have made good their threat of going on strike after the county government of Embu failed to address their grievances which include delayed salaries for three months.

The over 2, 400 workers including nurses, doctors, dentists, morticians among others are also blaming the county government for non-remittance of statutory deductions amounting to over Ksh 400 Million for past four months.

The healthcare workers said they are receiving messages of loans default from banks after the county government failed to remit their money for repayment of loans and other deductions for the month of April, May and June this year.

The healthcare workers said even after several meetings with the county health officials nothing has been done to their grievances.

Led by their union leaders the healthcare workers said this time round they are not relenting and no return to work formula until their grievances are addressed and implemented.

Denis Mugambi, Chairman Upper Eastern Region, Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) said after issuance of strike notice, yesterday they had a meeting with county health officials which bore no fruit and there was no alternative rather than striking.

Mugambi said the strike will continue until their demands indicated in the strike notice are fully implemented.

Joseph Ngwasi, Secretary. Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), Embu Branch lamented that the county has been violating the rights of the workers through offering variant salaries to contracted healthcare workers which ranges between Ksh 15, 000 and Ksh 50, 000; he has demanded for harmonization of the salaries.

The patients who were interviewed by the press expressed their concern over what they called a reluctance of the county government in addressing the plight of the healthcare workers.

They said despite going very early to seek treatment at Embu level five hospital they were met with a rude shock to find the services paralyzed and they have no other alternative rather than to seek treatment at private health facilities.

End.