By The Anchor Writer
Nursing officers in Machakos County will down their tools on July 24, 2024, grounding operations in all health facilities if their promotions are not made.
The nurses today tendered a strike notice to the Minister for Health Dr. Daniel Yumbya, County Secretary Dr Muya Ndambuki and chair County Public Service Board Mr Urbanus Mutisya.
The impact of the strike is projected to spread across Machakos and the neighbouring counties of Kitui, Makueni, Kiambu, and Kajiado, where patients are likely to seek medical treatment.
The nurses in Machakos vowed to down tools in three weeks’ time if the county government does not yield into their long-standing demands and grievances
The nurses have faulted the county for failing to adhere to some of their agreement including a return to work formulae that was agreed upon in September last year that long serving medics be promoted which they claim has not been effected to date. Promotions effected since have been selective and the union sees this as a divide and rule strategy by the county government.
Speaking at the Machakos County headquarters in Machakos town after presenting their notice to the county secretary, the medics said 1,015 have not been promoted in the last seven years, notwithstanding signed agreements to promote them.
The Machakos Branch Secretary for the Kenya Nurses Union (KNUN) Michael Saka said most hospitals in the county are being overstretched after more than 250 nurses left the country to work overseas through a program supported by the national government.
Nurses have gone without leave as they work long hours to provide critical care to patients.
According to Saka, it is worrying that the county has initiated ambitious projects, including the upgrading of Level 2 hospitals, yet nurses' pay has never been a priority of the county.
Observers interpret the needs priorities to be driven by deals that come with construction contracts where officials line up their pockets while staff suffer over the years.
They lamented on the deplorable state of most health facilities, saying they lack medical supplies, with patients not going without food.
Stay Anchored.
