Three more health unions issue strike notice

Health workers on strike. [File, Standard]

Public Health Officers, Nutritionists and Pharmaceutical Technologists have issued an indefinite strike notice beginning Tuesday, April 9.

The three notified the public through a joint statement issued by their unions, the Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union, the Kenya National Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists, and the Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dieticians.

In their statement, the Unions cited the Ministry of Health's failure to recognize them as mandated by law, its failure to absorb contracted staff, and poor pay by the government.

"We, the united bodies of the Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU), the Kenya National Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists (KNUPT), and the Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dieticians (KUNAD), with a heavy heart, announce the commencement of an indefinite strike action starting today, 9th April 2024," read the statement.

"This announcement follows our prior notice dated 2nd April 2024, in which we provided a seven (7) day ultimatum to the Ministry of Health and County Governments to address our longstanding grievances. Regrettably, this period has lapsed without any substantive action or satisfactory response from the concerned authorities."

According to the Unions, all members are directed to cease work-related activities and are encouraged to participate in organized peaceful demonstrations at designated locations across the counties.

Their strike comes amid the doctors' strike which entered its third week on April 4.

The strike has paralysed medical services in public hospitals with patients across the country forced to seek medical attention in private hospitals.

According to the medics, the strike will continue until the government meets its demands, among them the implementation of the 2017 CBA and payment and posting of interns.

With the new strike notice by Public Health Officers, Nutritionists, and Pharmaceutical Technologists, Kenyans should expect a dire medical situation in hospitals.