Handsome reward awaits over 100 nurses in Lamu County who are not on strike

Lamu County Health Executive Dr Mohamed Kombo attends to a patients at King Fahad County Hospital on December 8, 2016. He said the over 100 nurses in the county who are still working despite the ongoing nationwide strike by health workers will be rewarded. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • He said once the current standoff is resolved, the nurses in Lamu who are going on with their work will get a handsome reward.
  • Dr Kombo said the Lamu County government is pleased with the decision of the nurses not to go on strike.
  • Since Monday, the county Health executive has had to work at the King Fahad County Hospital.
  • He has been assisting nurses after some medical officers joined the strike.

More than 100 nurses in Lamu County who are still working despite the ongoing nationwide strike by health workers will be rewarded, the county government has said.

Speaking to journalists in his office on Thursday, Lamu Health Executive, Dr Mohamed Kombo, lauded the spirit and great sense of humanity exhibited by the nurses and said such a move deserves to be rewarded.

He said although doctors and nurses in the country are demanding for their justice, there are many ways in which it can be sought without resorting to a strike and making innocent Kenyans suffer.

He said once the current standoff is resolved, the nurses in Lamu who are going on with their work will get a handsome reward.

Bomet is the only other county where health workers are reported to be going on with their duties despite the nationwide strike that has paralysed healthcare.

PLEASED WITH NURSES' DECISION

Dr Kombo said the Lamu County government is pleased with the decision of the nurses not to go on strike and instead continued to serve the people of Lamu.

“All hospitals and dispensaries are fully functional in Lamu County even as some of our medical officers here have joined their counterparts in the strike.

“However, all our nurses have continued working as usual even as the strike enters day [five]. Our clinical officers, however, didn’t strike and I have been working with them to save lives.

“I am aware of patients who are suffering in public hospitals in other counties but for our case, we don’t have any crisis in our hospitals,” said Dr Kombo.

Since Monday, the county Health executive has had to work at the King Fahad County Hospital where he attends to patients assisted by the nurses as some medical officers have joined the strike.

CALL TO SAVE LIVES

“I would like to advise my fellow medics that our call is to save lives first and not chase money as some are doing it at the moment,” he added.

He lauded the unity exhibited by the nurses and said it is something that ought to be emulated by all other nurses in the country.

“We will stand with the nurses for they have proved beyond doubt that they have indeed been called to save lives. We shall do everything to ensure they work comfortably and effectively. Whatever will be decided in Nairobi, we shall also do the same for our nurses here,” said Dr Kombo.

The County has a total of 127 nurses, a consultant doctor, nine medical officers and 38 clinical officers all spread across the various hospitals and dispensaries in Lamu.

Dr Kombo said the county has also employed an additional two new doctors to fill the slots of the striking doctors.

On Wednesday, nurses in Lamu announced they will withdraw from the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) saying they have been side-lined by top officials.