This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
Health Workers in Homa Bay, Kenya, Down Tools Over Unpaid Salaries ¶
Monday, August 3, 2020
Health workers in Homa Bay, Kenya, have downed their tools in protest over unpaid salaries and poor working conditions, leaving patients stranded and services severely affected.
According to reports, the health workers, who include doctors, nurses, and clinical officers, are demanding payment for June and July salaries, as well as better working environments, including sufficient personal protective equipment (PPEs).
"We will only attend to patients after we are paid and our bank accounts reflect that money has been deposited," said Amos Dulo, the county's Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentist Union (KMPDU) liaison officer.
The strike has affected all levels of service, including Covid-19 isolation facilities, with patients being redirected to private health facilities. The health workers have vowed not to return to work until their grievances are addressed.
Kevin Osuri, Nyanza chair of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU), said the strike in Homa Bay is legal and that the county has never fulfilled its promise of timely salary payments for the past nine months.
"We are asking the national government to transfer health functions from the county and manage its critical affairs. We have abandoned our duties because we have been abandoned by our employer," he said.
County Health executive Richard Muga attributed the delays to the late disbursement of funds from the national government to the county.
