Nurses, clinical officers push for better working terms

Clinical officers and nurses protest outside Parliament in Nairobi yesterday. The officers threatened to boycott work until when their demands are met. [David Njaaga, Standard]

Health workers continue to push the government to address their grievances, maintaining they will abstain from duty until the demands are addressed.

Yesterday, Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) held a peaceful procession to Afya House and Parliament to submit their petition.

The employees presented their petition to the Senate. The petition was received by Senators Isaac Mwaura and Samson Cherargei.

Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) protest outside the Ministry of Health offices in Nairobi over what they term as a failure by the government to provide them with medical allowances on December 14, 2020. [David Njaaga,Standard]

At the Senate, they were addressed by Mr Cherargei, who promised to forward the petition to Speaker Kenneth Lusaka for a special sitting to be heard on Monday. Senate is on recess.

However, the employees were ignored at the Ministry of Health offices; nobody addressed them.

KUCO general secretary George Gibore said it was worrying that President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Health ministry remained mum despite the fact that the strike affected health operations countrywide.

Health workers hold vigil in honour of their colleagues who succumbed to Covid-19 at Afya House on December 9, 2020. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

Supply of PPE

“It is unfortunate that the top leadership has put much weight into politics, despite the country having a pandemic that has killed hundreds of Kenyans, leaving several hospitalised,” said Mr Gibore.

Clinical officers and nurses downed their tools on December 7 to compel the government to hear them. Their demands include supply of standard Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), comprehensive medical cover, harmonisation of risk allowances and employment of more health professionals on permanent terms.

Their push comes even as the Covid-19 pandemic ravages the country. Yesterday 163 people, from a sample of 2,283, tested positive. This translates to a 7.1 per cent positivity rate.

Six people succumbed to the virus, bringing total deaths to 1,593, since the pandemic was first reported in the country in March. Cumulative test for the country stands at 973,805, with total infections pegged at 92,055.