Nurses strike: Agony as accident victims thrown out

The health crisis in public hospitals got worse on Tuesday as nurses continued to keep off work, with some forcefully discharging patients from health centres. (READ: Misery as health crisis worsens)

Not even the blood soaked victims of a road accident could soften the striking nurses and other health workers at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital in Nakuru.

Relatives and bystanders watched in disbelief as the health workers blocked admission for more than 13 victims who were involved in a road accident along the Njoro-Nakuru road on Monday, where one person died.

Police who had brought the patients were forced to make a hurried retreat and took the victims to a private hospital in Nakuru town.

The referral hospital, which on a good working day has a population of 600 patients remained a ghost hospital. Only a handful of patients are left behind since the nurses strike started early last week.

Martha Wangu from Mawingu Internally Displaced person’s camp in Olkalou had a hard time after she underwent a major stomach operation at the hospital.

Hospital bill
“I’m suffering and I have no one to take care of me. I can’t go to Mawingu as I’m unable to clear the hospital bill for the 20 days I have been admitted here,” Ms Wangu told Nation on Tuesday.

In Taveta District nurses and other health workers forcefully discharged 40 patients free of charge as they continued with the strike.

Only two women who underwent Caesarean were spared.

The health officials held a crisis meeting in trying to resolve the crisis. (READ: Nurses disown minister's back to work deal)

“We have been attending some emergency cases, but today we have decided to close the facility so that the authorities concerned can take us seriously and address our concerns,” said one of the nurses.

Only two doctors were at the Coast General Hospital attending to emergency cases following the absence of nurses and clinical officers, who have continued to defy the government’s order to return to work.

When the Nation team visited the hospital, they found unoccupied beds and empty wards as some patients waited helplessly to access medical treatment.

Ms Khadija Kizimba who had brought her ill neighbour for treatment lamented that she had not been able to see a doctor since Monday, despite her condition becoming worse.

A spot check revealed that some clinics have recorded a high number of patients since the strike began. (READ: Nurses and unions split on boycott)

The chairman of the Heath Workers Association Coast branch Mr Rashid Mwangagi said members were waiting for the committee’s decision to see if they would continue with the strike or go back to work.

Patients continue to languish in agony at the New Nyanza Provincial General Hospital as the strike by health workers entered day six.

While most patients had been given premature discharge, relatives of those who remained have been forced to play the nursing role to their loved ones as those with professional training kept off.

Mr Jacktone Ochieng, a patient in the ward explained how he failed to be taken to the theatre although he had been booked one week ago.

“When I asked the surgeon why I cannot be taken to theatre for operation, he told me that his duty is to carry out the procedure, but other preparatory work leading to that is supposed to be done by the nurse in charge,” said Mr Ochieng amid a lot of pain.

According to the Nyanza provincial director of medical services Dr Ojwang’ Lusi, more patients could be dying at home because of the strike at the facility.

“The impact of the strike is pathetic; remember we are talking about human lives here,” he said.

Relatives who had patients at the maternity wing said that they were forced to do the midwife role with obvious risks involved as the nurses were nowhere close to the wards.

Services resume

Health workers in Nyeri declined to resume duties until they got confirmation of a tangible agreement between their representatives and the government as normal services resumed across hospitals in Murang’a county.

In Nyeri, efforts by the executive secretary Nyeri County of the Union of Civil Servants, Mr Samuel Musa, and several of the nurses to convince the striking workers to resume duties pending the formation of a taskforce to implement the agreement failed.

“I am informed that this afternoon, the taskforce that was formed and given full authority to implement whatever is agreed upon will be in place,” he said.

But business has been going on as usual at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Uasin Gishu District Hospital despite the ongoing strike by health workers in the country.

The more than 150 health workers who had downed their tools on March 1 resumed service the same day in the afternoon after the management of the hospital held a meeting with the union officials.

A spot check by the Nation revealed that more patients were at the hospitals to seek treatment and medics were also at hand to treat them.

“I am happy that medics at this hospital have agreed to continue offering their services despite the ongoing strike, or else most patients would be suffering,” said a patient who declined to be named.

At Uasin Gishu District Hospital operations were going on with patients queuing to seek services.

Mr Daniel Kurgat, the secretary of the workers union in the region said that they had been duped to return to work with a court order that he claimed was not genuine.

He said that they were waiting for communication from their leaders so that they can join them in the strike, unless a solution is arrived at.

“We may be forced to go back to the streets if no agreement is reached by the end of the week as we believe that we were duped by the management,” said Mr Kurgat.

The hospital acting director Dr John Kibosia said that they held fruitful discussions with the health workers not to withdraw their services.

Dr Kibosia also expressed confidence that the issue will be solved amicably so that no Kenyan suffers due to the strike.

The members of Kenya Health Professionals Society downed their tools on 1 of this month and government attempts to end the strike has failed. The workers are pushing for better working conditions and pay.

Reported by Winnie Atieni, Ouma Wanzala, Anthony Kitimo, Justus Wanga, Charles Mwaniki ans Samuel Karanja