Kericho nurses end strike after county pledges major changes

 

Nurses in Kericho have called off their strike after clinching a deal with the county government.

Services that were paralysed in public hospitals for the last three months are expected to resume immediately following the agreement in which the county promised not to victimise the health workers for taking part in the strike.

In the deal signed on Thursday afternoon, the county pledged to raise the health workers’ allowances from Sh3,850 to Sh5,000, in line with a June 9, 2017 advisory by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

Mr Tarus Kipyego, the Kericho secretary of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) signed the document alongside County Public Service Board (CPSB) chair Joel Koech, County Secretary Joel Bett and Health Chief Officer David Ekuam.

“The strike has come to an end today as all parties have agreed on the issues. All health services resume immediately,” said Mr Kipyego.

While noting that his administration is committed to providing universal health care for all residents, Governor Paul Chepkwony regretted that it took too long to end the strike.

“I wish the residents for the patience they showed as we negotiated with the health workers. I call upon them to immediately seek services from all public health facilities,” said Prof Chepkwony.

Other promises

The county further promised to provide adequate and good quality Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all nurses as they help fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

The CPSB agreed to improve the terms of service for nurses employed on contract by granting them permanent and pensionable terms in the 2021/2022 financial year.

Nurses serving on permanent and pensionable terms will also be re-designate or promoted by June 30 and resources to support specialist training  set aside.

The major win for the health workers is the provision of a comprehensive medical cover, a group life cover, a funeral cover, Work Injury Benefits (Wiba) and a Group Personal Accident (GPA) cover.

Kericho County Referral Hospital, Kapkatet, Londiani and Kipkelion sub-county hospitals were among the public health facilities that had been affected by the strike, forcing residents to seek services at the more costly private hospitals.