Strike paralyses health services in Nyeri

Health services at Nyeri County public hospitals have been paralysed following a strike by doctors protesting poor staffing and delayed promotions.

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union central branch secretary-general Dr Goody Gor said the strike started at midnight on Friday after the county failed to address their grievances.

“We really feel that the county has ignored our calls and resolve our grievances. We will stay away from until they are ready to tackle each issue,” she said.

Dr Gor denied claims by the county that the doctors were to blame for the shortage, saying no doctor would decline employment and work without a salary for months.

“The county is misleading people with claims that we doctors refused to provide their documents. Most doctors have taken their documents more than three times to no avail,” she said.

County Executive for Health Dr Charles Githinji Thursday accused the doctors of failing to produce their documents for purposes of regularising their employment and salaries.

According to Dr Gor, the poor staffing has affected their performance at work and health care in hospital.

‘BURN OUT’

“Most of us are burnt out because we are work for long hours. The work that needs to be done is beyond our capacity yet every day new units are being established in hospitals,” she said.

Dr Gor told the Nation that besides delayed salaries, the doctors are unhappy about delayed promotions and failure by the county to train doctors to use new machines in the hospital.

Dr Githinji however said an ongoing hernia camp at the Nyeri County Referral hospital will not be disrupted despite the doctors’ strike.

“The doctors at the camp are from other hospitals and are assisting with the surgeries. The strike will not affect the camp,” he said.

He appealed to the doctors to return to work, insisting that most of the issues raised had been resolved.