Over 800 health workers down tools at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, services slowed

ELDORET: Over 800 health workers from the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) on Monday made true their threats by downing their tools over poor working conditions.

The health workers under the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) last week announced to go on strike over failure by the hospital to sign a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) they had discussed for the last two years.

Services at MTRH were at snail pace with long queues being witnessed in the outpatient unit as most of the nurses took to the streets, though they were dispersed by policemen who hurled teargas canisters and arrested two officials.

The nurses then convened outside the casualty section of the second largest referral hospital in Kenya and chanted songs of deliverance from the 'oppression' by hospital's management board.

Kennedy Orangi, KNUN chairperson MTRH branch expressed fury over the hospital's board approach to the matter, saying it was archaic for them to call anti riot police to disperse them when they were peacefully exercising their constitutional right.

"The nurses are traumatized as they have been forced to improvise ways to attend to patients due to lack of basic drugs and other consumables to treat clients, it is sad the hospital has decided to call the police instead of engaging the police," said Orangi.

Besides lack of sufficient drugs, gloves and other material to provide services to patients, the nurses say MTRH board has refused to sign a CBA they had negotiated since 2012 even after a directive by the Industrial Court in Nakuru to have the agreement signed by September 2014.

"We are tired of going to the streets for our issues to be addressed that's why we came up with a CBA with consideration of the hospital's input, we are wondering why the board has refused to sign it, we will not return to work until the binding document is signed," said Orangi.

Beatrice Chelule, KNUN assistant chairperson MTRH branch accused the hospital's board for using the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC) as a scapegoat of their resistance to sign the binding document they had discussed and agreed.

"It is irresponsible for the hospital to say they have written to SRC for further directions concerning the CBA, we agreed on the memoranda earlier and if it is anything the commission should have been brought in at the time of discussion and not now," said an agitated Chelule.

She accused the hospital for neglecting the real issues, pointing out that the medical section, maternity section and the laboratories were in a pathetic state due to lack of basic materials and drugs.

"We don't want to offer services below the recommended standards to the patients, it is discouraging to attend to patients without gloves, drugs and even laboratory reagents, it is so traumatizing to see clients who have come for dialysis suffering due to lack of basic consumables," explained Chelule.

John Bii the National Chairman KNUN added more strength to the strike, saying it was legal as they had served a two weeks' notice to the hospital board which lapsed on Sunday midnight without the management showing any willingness to solve the stalemate.

"The strike is legal and it will only stop when the KNUN national office that authorized its commencement decides to call it off which we have not done, I wonder if calling the police will help discuss the issues raised in the CBA," he mused.

Bii also dispelled the hospital's management board announcement that it had obtained a court order on Friday to stop the strike, saying they have not been served with any directive and it is in fact the management that have breached a ruling to have the CBA signed by September last year.

"We haven't been served with any order so we haven't breached any ruling, there is no further negotiation on the CBA since it was concluded and further engagement will only commence after our colleagues are released from police custody," Bii stated

John Kibosia, Director MTRH who was accompanied by Director of Clinical Services at the facility Dr Wilson Aruasa who had come to address the nurses demonstrating left without commenting on the matter.

Further attempt to pursue Dr Kibosia to give the management's side of the story didn't bear fruits as his Secretary told the press that he had a throat problem and could not speak as he had gone to seek medical attention.