- Health workers unions have been protesting an order to appeal to the CPSB for reinstatement to jobs.
- Haki Africa wants the government to compensate families who lost their relatives as a result of the prolonged strike.
The Taita Taveta County Human Rights Movement has petitioned the county government over the prolonged standoff between its public service board and health workers.
The lobby—comprising several rights groups, including Haki Africa—on Tuesday held demonstrations in Voi to push the devolved unit to reconcile with more than 409 nurses and clinical officers who were laid off in January. The health workers were dismissed for taking part in a national strike.
“We have noted with dismay the poor health services in the county, there are no adequate personal protective equipment for frontline health workers. Health workers also lack comprehensive health cover to cater for Covid-19 and the related complications,” Voi Community Social Justice Centre coordinator Alexander Mbela said.
Health workers' unions have been protesting an order to appeal to the CPSB for members' reinstatement.
Speaking while handing over the petition to the CPSB members, Mbela reiterated that the government should compensate families who lost their family members as a result of the prolonged strike.
“As lobby groups, we have received reports of people who lost their relatives as a result of the standoff. Let the government take responsibility and compensate them," he said.
Haki Africa rapid response officer Mathias Shipeta asked the employment body to consider reinstating all sacked nurses and clinical officers to alleviate the looming health crisis in the county.
Shipera further asked Governor Granton Samboja's administration as a matter of urgency to set up a new ICU centre in Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi and operationalise its oxygen plant.
“Moi Hospital is the only referral facility in this county. We are concerned about its state of preparedness,” Shipeta said, noting that the facility is key to offering healthcare services for hundreds of people involved in road accidents along the busy Mombasa-Nairobi highway.
Samboja last week said his administration had successfully managed the health crisis that was caused by a health workers strike. He lamented that the strike was politically instigated to derail his development agenda.
He said the government had addressed nearly all their grievances, noting that services were nearly resuming normalcy.
“We addressed nine of the 10 grievances raised by the workers. Increasing their allowances was out of our hands as it was an issue to be addressed by the National Government,” he reiterated.
The governor said healthcare workers wanted an enhanced group cover, risk allowance, quality PPE, isolation and treatment centres.
He noted that those who made appeals through the CPSB have been allowed to go back to their work stations.
According to the CPSB, all the clinical officers and 52 nurses have already appealed and cleared to resume their jobs. The department has also hired 97 new nurses and clinical officers.
-Edited by Sarah Kanyara