Relief for patients after Embu nurses call off strike

Nurses in Embu County's public health facilities have called off their strike.

This comes as a relief for patients who had been admitted to various hospitals in the region.

The 640 nurses, who returned to work after staying away for seven days, are back to work after signing a return to work formula with the county government.

Local Kenya National Nurses Union (Knun) official Joseph Ngwasi said the health workers were satisfied with their deal with the government.

"We have officially called of the strike and our members are now attending to patients," said Mr Ngwasi, the Embu branch Knun secretary.

County Health executive, Dr Jamleck Muturi said normalcy had returned at Embu Level Five Hospital and other health institutions.

NORMAL OPERATIONS

"Everything is going on well and there no more problems. The government and the nurses are not fighting now," said Dr Muturi on Monday.

Patients said they were happy that normal operations had resumed.

"We are now being attended to by the nurses and we are praying that there will be no more strikes in future. When nurses refuse to work it is the patients who suffer most," said one of the patients in Embu.

Nurses went on strike last Monday, plunging the health sector in the region into crisis.

DEMANDS MET

The Embu County Assembly Health Committee Chairman, Muturi Mwombo said that it was good that the government had agreed to give the nurses their dues.

Mr Mwombo, who is also the Ruguru Ngandori MCA, said the demands by the nurses were genuine and should be met by the government.