Health crisis deepens as county refuses to pay striking nurses

Over 500 Nyeri health workers on strike will not get their August pay and risk being sacked.

The Nyeri County government said the health workers ‘will have to show cause why they should not be dismissed form service on grounds of desertion of duty’.

The threat from the county deepened the health crisis in the county with the health workers declining to return to work.

The Health Executive Secretary Mr Charles Githinji on Friday said the nurses had proved they were in no need of the jobs they were holding.

“The nurses should continue striking with the thought that their jobs are secured. We are moving to replace those who continue to defy a court order,” said Dr Githinji.

The county has also called on qualified and registered nurses to apply for jobs in the county on contractual basis.

Concerning implementation of new house allowance, the county said it was waiting guidelines on the allocation from the National treasury urging the health workers to be patient.

CONDUCTED CENSUS

On Friday the county official conducted a census in the county hospital to establish the nurses who had resumed their duties.

Out of 800 nurses in the county, the records at the county health offices showed that less than 300 nurses had heeded the county government’s call to return to work.

The health workers who failed to report to work will be required to respond to the charges in seven days which will be forwarded to the County Public Service Board for determination.

An Employment and Labour Relations court had ordered the Kenya National Union of Nurses to call off the strike but despite the court order, the nurses have continued to protest over undelivered promises.

The nurses have vowed to continue with the strike until the county government drops the condition noting that intimidating health workers with threats of dismissal was not resolving the situation.

The health crisis threatens to deepen in the county with none of the parties ready to bow to the other’s demands.

Kenya National Union of Nurses General Secretary Seth Panyako accused the Nyeri county government of treating the nurses’ strike casually.

NO POWER TO SACK

He laughed off claims that the county would sack the workers arguing that the county public service board was not there and therefore had no power to lay off the nurses.

“They can continue sending the threats. We will challenge any senseless move they make in a court of law,” he said.

Nyeri branch chairperson Ann Nyawira said the health workers were set to start negotiations but demanded that the county shows its readiness and commitment in dealing with their grievances.

“We will return to work after we have signed a return-to-work formula. The county musts be joking if they think we can return to work without a written agreement,” she said.

The workers representatives have engaged in talks with the county assembly’s health committee, the county executive and the health ministry officials without reaching an agreement.