Hospitals can't operate without nurses, says doctors' union

Nairobi County nurses demonstrate outside Nairobi County offices on June 21, 201. Council of Governors has been asked to end the strike. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union Secretary-General Ouma Oluga said public hospitals suffer a serious staff shortage and the absence of nurses was making matters worse.

  • High traffic public hospitals remain shut as medics and clinicians say they cannot operate without caregivers.

Doctors have urged the Council of Governors to end the nurses strike.

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union Secretary-General Ouma Oluga said public hospitals suffer a serious staff shortage and the absence of nurses was making matters worse.

He said hospitals could not offer services without nurses.

“I prescribe, but it is the nurse who administers the drug. We operate, but it is the nurse who gives post-surgery care,” Dr Oluga said on Monday.

The comments came as the strike entered its 22nd day.

RECEIVE PATIENTS

High traffic public hospitals remain shut as medics and clinicians say they cannot operate without caregivers.

Nurses are the backbone of every health system.

They receive patients and stabilise them; they administer drugs; prepare patients for surgery;  give round-the-clock care to patients in the intensive care unit, among many other duties.

According to the Kenya Health Workforce Report, the country has 51,649 registered nurses aged 60 and below — though only 31,896 are active — compared to 9,497 doctors, 13,913 clinical officers and 1,066 dentists.

NURSE-PATIENT RATIO

Slightly less than 25,000 of the nurses are taking part in the strike.

Despite the number, nurse-patient ratio in Kenya is at 8.3:10,000, way below the World Health Organisation recommended 25:10,000.

Dr Oluga said deaths occurring at home may just be as many as what was experienced during the doctors’ strike “even though the public is silent”.

UNFORTUNATE

Kisumu Health chief officer Lusi Ojwang’ said the strike was unfortunate as it came after the doctors’ one “which left the health system badly bruised and fractured”.

A medical officer explained why doctors were not at Mbagathi Hospital.

“No doctor can work without nurses, so I left,” he said, adding: “You can ask a clinical officer to deal with a patient when a doctor leaves but when the nurse is not around.