By Okong’o Oduya
Nurses in Busia County have resolved to lower down their working tools until the county government of Busia fully implements their return to work formula they agreed upon in May this year.
According to the chair person Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Dr. Seth Panyako, the county government has failed terribly to honor the agreement they reached upon during the meeting earlier this year. Mr. Panyako says they agreed that by 1st June this year the county government would have promoted 143 health practitioners that has to be fulfilled yet.
He noted that the way the county government is handling the in the health sector is a proper indication that they do not care about people of Busia. Panyako says that earlier on he had discussion with Governor Sospeter Ojaamong who assured him that their demands were fully executed only to learn that nothing happened even after giving them enough time.
In closed door meeting with senior officers from ministry of health in the county Panyako realized that nothing was implemented a move he termed as laxity from the officers failing to implement the directives from the governor.
“Something seems to be wrong somewhere. There is no way the president of the county who is the governor can give directions and the junior officers does not execute the order. I spoke with governor on Saturday and he assured me that all our demands were met, only to come down here and face the reality, this is playing with our mind, the only language they hear best is going on strike and now we have communicated,” he explained.
Panyako says that the health department in the county faces myriad challenges including shortage of staff by 1500 but they only wanted the government to address issue of promotion as the other issues are looked into later.
Addressing the media after the meeting Panyako noted that Busia, Kiambu and Nandi Counties in that order are the most notorious counties in the country that does not provide conducive environment to health workers.
Panyako challenged Busia residents to rise up and put the county government to task on issues related to health sector in the county. “People of Busia it is high time you wake up and question this government what is doing to improve the health sector in the county. The county government should follow the law nothing else,” He lamented.
Chairman Busia branch Isaiah Omondi noted that they have taken the decision after their effort to handle the issues affecting them in a diplomatic way failed.
He said that the union gave a strike notice of 14 days to give room for talks with the county government but they adamantly failed to heed to their call. He added that due to retirement and some few promotions done by the county government has caused shortage of human resource in the health sector leaving some wards unattended.
He added that in most cases patients are forced to wait for long just to be attended by one nurse who may be attending to around three wards at the same time.
The last 14 days we gave them another notice over issued we discussed in May 2016.there was no communications in June, July, and August up to date.
“Our members have been angered and have been agitated the way the county government has been handling this issues, they are very casual to the extent that they could not take it any longer. It must be remembered that we had issue with county government we agreed that we are going to let them handle first staff who’s retirement were almost due and handle staff who were supposed to go through competitive post. By July most of staff had retired and that left us with a lot of shortage,” he explained
Omondi says they will accept to go back to work after their return to work formula is fully implemented.
