Medics' strike enters fourth day as Nakuru county government moves to avert crisis

Over 200 newly recruited health workers in Nakuru are expected to report to work today after the county government made good on its threat to employ new staff to take up various roles in its facilities as a nationwide strike by doctors and nurses continues.

The new recruits gathered at the county headquarters on Wednesday to collect their deployment letters following a recruitment exercise meant to replace striking nurses.

The letters were issued as health Chief Officer Samuel Mwaura threatened to strike the names of striking health workers from the payroll if they don’t return to work immediately.

“We have successfully concluded the process of recruitment of new health workers. It’s a continuous process and we will eventually have to do away with the striking workers who are not sure of what they want,” said Dr Mwaura said yesterday.

According to county health executive officer Dr Kabii Mungai, the health department has already selected 140 nurses, 25 Lab technicians, 17 pharmacists and 5 health recording clerks to Nakuru Level five hospital and health centres in Lanet, Bondeni and Mirugi Kariuki areas and the letters were ready for collection.

EMERGENCY FUND

The County Public Service Board went ahead to recruit nurses and other health workers as the county public health sector remained paralysed for six days.

The new recruits are expected to report to work starting today after being deployed to various parts of the county.

The recruitment was announced by a team from the county government at the county commissioner’s office, where the administrators said the newly recruited health workers will be provided tight security.

County officials said it intends to deploy more than 300 health workers in a move to reopen four county hospitals. Dr Mungai said officials feared it may take a long time before a solution to the strike is found.

“The number of health workers recruited has met the target which the county had set and will be signing a seven-months employment contract,” he said.

Dr Mwaura said the new workers will be paid from the emergency fund set aside specifically for emergencies.

TIGHT SECURITY

“Constitutionally, we are allowed to access the emergency funds in our budget and this will therefore be used to clear the salaries starting December since the workers will be working to save lives,” he said.

On Tuesday, after attending a consultative meeting at the county commissioner’s office, he said the intention was to get the county’s health sector operational this week.

“We want to ensure that at least every sub-county has an operational health centre in order to reduce the negative effects of the ongoing strike,” Dr Mwaura said.

At Tuesday’s meeting with the county security team, led by county commissioner Joshua Nkanatha, it was decided that the new workers would work under tight security following threats from union officials.

“We understand that there are some health workers who are willing to work but are fearing intimidation from their colleagues and that is why we have decided to engage the security team to protect them and the hospital equipment,” said the county health executive officer.

NURSES SNUB MEETING

According to Mr Nkanatha, police officers will be deployed to the various health centres to protect the staff willing to work.

The decision to recruit the new workers to fill the positions of striking nurses was reached on Friday after the striking nurses snubbed a meeting convened by a special task force formed by Governor Kinuthia Mbugua to address their grievances.

The county Public Service Board resolved to hire qualified nurses, lab technicians and clinical officers on a seven-month contract. Qualified candidates were urged to immediately drop off their applications at the county headquarters.

More than 1,200 Nakuru nurses are now on their seventh day of their strike, protesting delayed promotions and poor working conditions at county health facilities. The situation has been complicated by striking doctors.

Dr Kabii said the county government embarked on the recruitment exercise as the last resort after efforts to reach the union officials hit a dead end.

NYANDARUA ALSO RECRUITING

According to the health official, the county had already settled the issues raised by its health workers, including promotions, and hence they had no reason not to report to work.

In Nyandarua, the county government went ahead and shortlisted past applicants for various positions in its health department on Tuesday and instructed them to come for interviews.

Those shortlisted were requested to report for interviews on the date and time indicated against their names at the Office of Nyandarua County Public Service Board in Ol Kalou, according to a public notice put up by officials.

“All persons who applied for the various jobs in the Department of Health Services in the County Government of Nyandarua are requested to check in the County Website to see whether they have been short-listed,” the notice read.

Additional reporting by David Macharia.