Nurses plot to paralyse hospitals in row over allowances

Nurses are up in arms over poor working conditions and failure by counties to pay their allowances.

They warned that they would paralyse operations in public hospitals unless the allowances were paid.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses chairman Jophinus Musundi said on Sunday: “Counties that have not paid our members the necessary allowances like uniform, health risk and medical should do so immediately because the national Treasury dispatched monies to counties.”

The Kenya Nursing Council (KNC) and Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board, he added, should flex its muscles and close public health facilities not meeting nurse to patient ratios.

Secretary-general Seth Panyako said that in labour wards one nurse should attend to two patients while at the Intensive Care Unit, one nurse should attend a single patient.

“Nurses are overburdened. That is why a woman gave birth while unattended recently in Nyeri,” he said.

Mr Panyako also cited Busia District Hospital where he claimed a single nurse attended to all patients at night.

Mr Musundi said the shortage of nurses was grave and accused the Nursing Council of doing nothing to press the government to address the matter.

The officials were speaking at Nyamira District Hospital when they welcomed newly elected Nyamira County, union branch officials Andrew Gwaro Okebiro (chairman), Richard Orutwa (secretary) and Rebecca Ondieki (treasurer).

“The government in its last budget promised to employ 5,000 nurses. When it introduced free maternity services, it also promised to employ an additional 12,000 nurses. Later on it further promised to employ 30 nurses in each constituency. But so far, no single nurse has been employed,” Mr Musundi said.

He warned the government against employing nurses on contract, saying those working in that category should be absorbed under permanent and pensionable terms.

He said nurses would continue demanding to be under the Directorate of Nursing Services instead of Kenya Nursing Council, which he noted was toothless.

Mr Musundi said nurses’ salary review had been completed and was waiting for the government’s approval. Nurses who are newly employed and who previously entered the market in job group G will now start in category K.

Nurses with higher diplomas will now be allowed to advance their studies and attain a newly created title of Advance Nurse Specialists.