This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
June 15, 2020 - Kisumu County's health sector is in crisis as a strike by health workers enters its sixth day.
More than 3,000 health workers, including doctors, have been on strike since June 9, demanding prompt payment of their salaries, implementation of promotions, and payment of COVID-19 hazard allowances.
According to sources, patients in most public hospitals have been discharged, and others have been advised to seek alternative medical services in private facilities.
Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong'o had directed that the names of striking workers be deleted from the county's payroll if they failed to report back to work by Friday last week.
However, Maurice Opetu, the Kenya National Union of Nurses branch secretary for Kisumu, stated that the governor cannot affect the sack because the county government is in contempt of court and the strike is legal.
The county's Press Unit director, Aloice Ager, said on Sunday that the county is concerned with ensuring hospitals remain open and operational.
