No service, nurses are on strike: This what patients are told at the gates of most public hospitals across the country as the national nurses’ strike continues.
The situation is desperate.
A spot check by the Star in Machakos county revealed that while a few of the public hospitals were open, there were no services being rendered. Casual workers had no option but to turn visiting patients away.
Tens of such patients visited Athi River Level 3 Hospital on Monday but were turned away. Steve Kimutai demanded to be attended to at the facility in vain.
Kimutai said he had travelled from Eldoret and sort medication at the hospital since he attended treatment there. Casual workers told him there was nobody to attend to him.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union, Lower Eastern secretary general Charles Okumu earlier said KMPDU supports the strike of other health workers until their demands were met.
“Basic human rights is what we are asking for. Health workers want favourable working environment,” Okumu told reporters at Athi River Level 3 Hospital in Machakos County on December 22.
“In our Lower Eastern chapter that includes Kitui, Makueni and Machakos counties, patients are being turned away from the hospitals because doctors are not in hospitals, nurses aren’t there to attend these patients,” Okumu said.
“Clinical officers are at home. So, we have a situation where patients walk into hospitals and walk out because there is nobody to attend to their health demands and needs,” he added.
Katani Hospital CEO Dr Modesta Vesonder said patients shouldn’t suffer at home without seeking medication from health experts.
“We have gone around the country and witnessed how patients are suffering. The Lower Eastern region isn’t an exception,” Vesonder told the press at Katani Hospital on Sunday.
Healthcare workers have been on strike demanding for provision of quality and standard PPE, comprehensive medical cover, risk allowance, hiring of more healthcare workers and dedicated health facilities per county for those who contract Covid-19 while on duty.
Vesonder said patients can seek health services at Katani Hospital.
“We have heard of patients who had established relationships with various public hospitals that are now closed due to the ongoing strike, don’t die at home. We are open to serve everybody,” she said.
She said patients shouldn’t stay at home until their situations worsen.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary general Seth Panyako on Thursday said the return to work formula between the doctors’ union and the government does not affect the nurses.
The doctors called off their strike on Thursday after a series of meetings with the government.
