Nurses in Homa Bay have urged the county government to hire more personnel to enable them to serve residents effectively.
The medics said there is still a big variance between them and the patients they attend to.
The United Nations standard ratio is 83 nurses per 10,000 patients.
The nurses made the call during International Nurses and Midwives Week celebrations at Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Through Nurses Association of Kenya Homa Bay branch chairperson Judy Odipo and Kenya National Union of Nurses trustee Lilian Oguttu, the nurses urged Governor Gladys Wanga’s administration to address their grievances.
Odipo, who works as a theatre nurse at Homa Bay Teaching and Referral Hospital, said they are usually forced to work extra hours because of being few in number.
“Nurses understaffing is real in Homa Bay and we would wish to have more so that they can discharge their duties effectively. Having one person performing multiple duties is tiresome,” Odipo said.
She said sometimes they run out of emergency drugs while in theatre.
“We appeal to the government to provide all essential drugs that are needed in case of an emergency,” Odipo said.
“The government should also expand its facilities to accommodate more people.”
Carol Adongo, director of nursing at the county referral hospital, said the health facility receives more patients than its bed capacity.
There are 311 beds against the current 346 patients, forcing patients to share beds.
Besides understaffing, the nurses said, they sometimes run out of supplies they need to work effectively. These include non-pharmaceuticals.
Homa Bay has about 650 nurses working in more than 236 health facilities.
Oguttu commended Wanga’s administration for transforming the health sector but called for more support.
She said most level 4 hospitals have up to 10 nurses.
“We appeal to the government to employ more nurses for us to serve patients better,” Oguttu said.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya