Health workers threaten to strike over salary delays, medical cover

Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako, addresses the media, flanked by KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah (left) and other officials, on September 5, 2024 at Ngong Hills Hotel in Nairobi. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard].

The Health sector is facing another crisis if medics make good their threat to down their tools if their demands to county governments are not met in the next two weeks.

The demands include payment of salaries, lack of medical cover, and non-remittance of deductions, which, they say, are the critical challenges.

Addressing the media in Nairobi, health care workers from different unions, said their members will paralyse health services.

“All the health workers, that is the nurses, doctors, clinical officers, lab technicians, dietitians, public health officers and everyone else will be out of work as they demand for justice and for these things to be implemented,” said Davji Atellah, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacist and Dentist Union (KMPDU) Secretary General.

The unions includes KMPDU, Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO).

Others are Kenya National Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists and Officers (KNUPT), Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) and Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dietitians (KUNAD).

The unions also raised concern over the many counties that have allegedly failed to remit third-party deductions, including bank loans, SACCO contributions, pensions, union dues and NHIF payments.

The threat for the strike comes as patients face uncertain times as persistent strikes of health workers, lack of drugs, and inadequate services hit several counties.

Some county health workers have already downed their tools.

In the Coast region, among the worst affected is Taita Taveta county, where patients have been forced to seek healthcare in private clinics.

Yesterday, Dafton Mwang’ombe, 76, lay outside Wundanyi Health Centre in pain. He is suffering from urethral obstruction and had gone to the facility to have his urine bag changed.

He was turned away after medical workers downed their tools to press the Taita Taveta County government to remit delayed third-party deductions of over Sh500 million.

“I bought a new urine bag among other equipment only to be frustrated by the hospital workers. I only found support staff that turned me away,” he said.

In Mombasa, Dr Ghalib Ali, Mombasa branch secretary of KMPDU) said medical staff in all cadres were pushing for their promotion.

He said the last time the county promoted them was in the 2021/2022 financial year.

Health workers in Nakuru and Baringo counties have threatened to down their tools over delayed salaries and lack of essential medicines.

In Nakuru, nurses, clinical officers, and laboratory technicians have not been paid for two months.

On Wednesday, the workers led by the Nurses Union Secretary Rose Masta regretted that some had gone for two months without salaries.

In Baringo, County Executive Committee Member Health Solomon Sirma said there was a shortage of drugs in health facilities in the county.

In Kisii, doctors and clinical officers gave Governor Simba Arati 14 days to honor the return-to-work formula signed one-and-half years ago, while Nyamira nurses are complaining of a three-month pay delay.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nyanza  Secretary General Aggrey Orwenyo yesterday said the return-to-work formula was deposited at the Labour and Employment Court in Kisumu.

In Nyamira, the Kenya National Union of Nurses gave Governor Amos Nyaribo 14 days to resolve their grievances. “We have gone for months without pay. How do they expect us to pay bills?” said branch secretary, Bernard Kerosi.

Reports by Emmanuel Kipchumba, Renson Mnyamwezi, Yvonne Chepkwony, Stanley Ongwae, Anne Atieno and Kelvin Karani

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