Mothers pay the price as nurses' strike cripples maternity services in Nakuru

KNH nurses protested outside the facility over lack by management to implement a previous return-to-work deal.[Juliet Omelo, Standard]

Expectant women and sick children are among those paying the heaviest price as a nurses’ strike continues to cripple services in public health facilities across Nakuru County, with maternity wings closed and patients turned away.

For mothers expecting to deliver, the fear is no longer only about childbirth; it is about where they will go when labour starts.

 A spot-check by The Standard revealed several public health facilities in Nakuru have suspended maternity and nursing services after nurses employed by the county government joined the ongoing strike, leaving patients scrambling for alternative care.

At Lanet Health Centre Level Three, in Nakuru East, maternity services have been disrupted after all 16 nurses employed by the county government went on strike.

While some services remain operational, the facility is relying on nurses employed by development partners, including USAID, who are working under contracts separate from the county government.

 At Bondeni Sub-County Hospital, the maternity wing has been closed and no new admissions are being made. Mothers seeking maternal services have largely stopped going to the facility, while outpatient services continue.

The situation was equally grim at Langa Langa Sub-County Hospital, where a man who had brought his child for a clinic visit was turned away at the reception.

 A woman at the reception reportedly told him that there were no nurses available and that the facility could not attend to him.

At Rhonda Health Centre and Maternity, services have also been closed, further shrinking the options available to women seeking antenatal, delivery and postnatal care.

 The closures have triggered growing concern among residents and community health advocates, who fear that the continued disruption could cost lives.

 Shenali Francis, a resident, said the strike had already resulted in serious losses, including deaths, and called on both the government and nurses to urgently resolve the dispute.

 Shenali said any agreement reached between the two sides should be honoured and implemented.

 "There is nothing hard. Any agreement put in place should be implemented,” he said.

 Shenali also challenged the striking nurses to reconsider the consequences of withdrawing their services, saying ordinary Kenyans were bearing the brunt of the dispute.

 “Think widely when you go on strike. Who benefits?” he said.

 He appealed to nurses to soften their position and urged those willing to continue working to do so.

 Shenali also condemned any attempts to intimidate or attack healthcare workers who have chosen to remain at work.

“Do not weaponise and attack those willing to be at work,” he said.

Morris Otieno, a member of the Bondeni Unit Community Health Committee, said the crisis was particularly worrying for women and children who depend on public facilities.

 Otieno described nursing as a calling, saying no amount of money could fully compensate nurses for the critical role they play in saving lives.

 At the same time, he acknowledged the difficult economic conditions facing healthcare workers.

 He said the disruption had discouraged some women from seeking delivery services at the affected facilities, leaving them with few options.

 Otieno said children scheduled for immunisation had also missed out on services because nurses were unavailable.

 “Doctors are also facing challenges because they cannot work without nurses,” he said.

 The absence of nurses he said is not only affecting maternity wards but also outpatient care, child immunisation and other essential services.

Human rights defender Mwangi Muraya said it was unacceptable for patients to lose their lives because of a dispute that could be resolved through negotiations.

 “Nurses are a very essential part of medical care. We call on the government to intervene and have the issue resolved,” he said.

 Muraya urged both the government and nurses to return to the negotiating table and find a solution that protects healthcare workers while ensuring patients are not abandoned.

Human rights defender Maimuna Mwinyi said the closure of maternity facilities was particularly distressing for pregnant women who require continuous care throughout pregnancy and delivery.

 “Mothers going to antenatal clinics  are not being attended to. Women have suffered and it is time a solution is found to address the issue,” she said.

 Mwinyi warned that the situation could become even more dangerous if doctors join the strike.