This archive report was first published on 30 June 2020.
On June 29, 2020, a strike by health service providers at Busia County Referral Hospital left patients in desperate need of treatment without access to care.
According to eyewitnesses, patients were left waiting in long queues with no one to serve them, despite arriving at the hospital as early as 9:00 am.
One patient, 89-year-old Jared Ijakaa, expressed his disappointment at the turn of events, saying, 'We came here at 9.00 am only to be told that the strike began at midnight.'
Other patients, including Winnie Esnas and Anne Nafula, appealed to Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong to address the issues affecting the health workers in order to resume duties.
Busia County Secretary-General for Kenya National Union of Nurses Philemon Nakoche insisted that the strike would continue as planned because the County administration had not addressed their grievances.
The strike, which involved over 1,000 workers, was called due to delayed promotions, arbitrary transfers, and lack of PPEs among other grievances.
