Kakamega hires 61 medics to replace striking health workers

 

The Kakamega county government has hired 61 health workers to replace medics who have been on strike since last month.

Among those hired are 50 nurses, eight clinical officers and three nutrition and diabetic technologists. The county is also set to recruit 90 more nurses to replace those who are on strike.

While issuing appointment letters to the newly recruited medics at Bukhungu Stadium on Monday, Governor Wycliffe Oparanya reiterated the health workers' strike was illegal and in contempt of court.

“The county government of Kakamega went to court to declare this strike illegal and we actually obtained a court order and I wonder why the unions believe that they cannot respect a court order,” Oparanya said.

He said the striking medics should consider themselves sacked.

The new recruits will be deployed to the Kakamega County General Hospital.

“I have directed the CEC in charge of health that all of you should be deployed to the Kakamega County General Hospital so that you can fill the gap left by those who decided to sack themselves,” Oparanya said. 

The 90 nurses to be recruited will be deployed to all level 4 hospitals across the 12 subcounties. They are expected to begin work on March 1.

Oparanya who chairs the Council of Governors asked the health workers unions to drop their hard-line stance and agree to engage counties with a view to ending the strike.

He said the strike has had adverse effects as it has led to the closure of most public hospitals.

“County governments are making frantic efforts to engage union officials and seek truce and a return-to-work formula with the striking health workers," the governor said.

Oparanya said the recruitment of the new health workers confirmed his government’s commitment to hiring more medics to fill the gap being faced in the health department.

The move is aimed at ensuring adequate and efficient provision of medical services to the people of Kakamega.

“Today marks almost one and a half months since some nurses went on strike countrywide, crippling the provision of medical services in most public hospitals. I am pleased to note that more than 30 per cent of striking nurses in the county have resumed duty and aware that more nurses are willing to drop the strike and resume duty but intimidation from their union’s official has hindered them from doing so."

 Oparanya urged the nurses to ignore threats by their union officials and resume duty. "I assure them of protection from my government.”