Sack threat splits striking Kenyan nurses

More than 25,000 striking health workers on Friday started receiving dismissal letters as retired nurses and interns applied for their jobs.

This happened as some nurses in Western Kenya resumed work but their counterparts in other parts of the country vowed to continue with the strike or were split on the way forward.

National Nurses Association of Kenya chairman Luke K’odambo said matters were now out of the organisation’s hands following the decision to sack the workers. (READ: Patients in agony as Kenyan nurses sent packing)

“We are in a crisis and are appealing to our members to remain calm until we hold a meeting on Monday with all stakeholders,’’ Mr K’odambo said.
The meeting, which will be held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Medical Services will involve the Kenya Civil Servants Union, Health Professionals Society and government officials from the ministries of Public Service, Finance and Labour.

Mr K’odambo blamed Medical Services minister Prof Anyang Nyong’o for “fuelling” the strike by failing to implement an earlier deal that had been negotiated in December.

At the Mbagathi District Hospital in Nairobi, Medical Superintendent Andrew Suleh said services at the 200-bed capacity have been paralysed after about 150 sacking letters were sent to the striking health workers. Only those on leave were spared the axe.

Job applicants

“Currently, the hospital has only seven patients in the wards since majority of them were discharged when the strike begun,” said Dr Suleh.

Following the sacking of the nurses, Dr Suleh said the hospital had received about 30 job applications from retirees and interns.

Other job applicants wishing to fill the positions left vacant by the sacking presented their papers at the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital on Friday.

The hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Kimani Mwago said he had received 10 application letters an hour after opening his office.
Most of them were from workers in the private sector and retired nurses.

But Dr Mwago said there was no official communication about the sacking order and said employees were free to resume work.
At the Kisumu District hospital, 20 retirees heeded Prof Nyong’o’s call to apply for jobs.

“We have come out of retirement to avert the crisis and stop the death of innocent people,” said Ms Mary Awino, who worked as a nurse for 35 years at the Nyanza Provincial hospital.

Health workers in Western region were however split on the strike.

Those at Kakamega Provincial hospital trickled back to work and asked the government not to victimize employees who had gone on strike.

The Western Provincial Director of Medical Services Godrick Onyango confirmed that employees at the hospital had resumed duty and were ready to attend to patients.

He said names of those who had reported back to work would be sent to the ministry to stop them from being sacked.

“We expect the hospital to be up and running in the next 24 hours after patients know nurses are back on duty,” said Dr Onyango.

The one-week strike has also not affected Moi Teaching and Referral and Uasin Gishu district hospitals. Medics at the two institutions were working on Friday.

Health Workers union local branch secretary Daniel Kurgat said that they had decided to give negotiations a chance as they continue serving patients.

But at the Migori District and Rift Valley Provincial General hospitals, the employees stayed away from their work stations.

Police were also stationed at the Rift Valley Provincial Hospital to protect doctors who were attending to patients.

In Coast, Kenya Health Workers Society boss Rashid Mwangangi urged his colleagues to return to work but there were mixed reactions to his call with many opting to stay away.

In Murang’a District Hospital, the workers were in day long meeting to resolve the crisis and had not made a decision to return to work by the time of going to press. The health workers want their allowances increased.

Reports by Mike Mwaniki, Bernardine Mutanu, Brian Yonga, Benson Amadala, Elisha Otieno, Francis Mureithi, Ouma Wanzala, Daniel Nyassy and Samuel Karanja