Normal services resume at Mandera County Referral Hospital
Empty beds at the Mandera County Referral Hospital on December 6, 2016 after health workers went on strike. Services at the hospital have normalized after the county government recruited 12 nurses. PHOTO | MANASE OTSIALO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Health Executive Ahmed Sheikh said critical departments were operational.
- Mr Sheikh said the Kenya Defence Forces had also deployed two medical officers to cater for emergency cases.
- He said theatre and maternity departments were fully operational after a week of closure.
Services at Mandera County Referral Hospital have normalized after the county government recruited 12 nurses.
Health Executive Ahmed Sheikh said critical departments were operational.
“As of today we are not badly off as services are up and running at our County Referral hospital after nurses on probation resumed duty and we have 12 extra on temporary basis,” he said.
Mr Sheikh said the Kenya Defence Forces had also deployed two medical officers to cater for emergency cases.
“We have received two nurses from the KDF camp to supplement services of the few staff on duty,” he said.
He regretted that the KDF camp in Mandera had only two nurses without a doctor.
“Military camps in other counties neighbouring Mandera have enough medical personnel unlike us who are not enjoying their good services but we appreciate the little they have offered,” he said.
He said theatre and maternity departments were fully operational after a week of closure.
“We have reopened the outpatient department and we want all patients at home to come for treatment,” he said.
Mr Sheikh pleaded with medical staff unions to end the hard biting strike to save lives.
We are ready as a county government to sign the recognition agreement with the nurses and let them have their union at the county level,” said Mr Sheikh.
