No end in sight to patients’ pain as medics' strike continues to bite in Taita-Taveta

Patients seeking services in public hospitals in Taita-Taveta should brace themselves for tougher days as nurses and clinicians have vowed to continue paralysing health services following a hardline stance by the county government over their sacking.

The county government has fired over 400 striking medics and is working towards returning the health sector to normalcy by replacing the sacked workers.

Public health facilities are only offering outpatient services with crucial departments like the maternity, inpatient wards and theatre closed as the medics keep away from work. However, Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi has resumed services at the renal and cancer units.

Poor patients seeking medical services in the facilities continue to endure pain and agony as the strike enters its third month since it kicked off in December.

The prolonged strike has also posed a significant threat to universal access to healthcare.

Sick people in need of inpatient services are being referred to private facilities at St Joseph Shelter of Hope, River Jordan and Tsavo medical clinics in Voi for admission.

Coast General Hospital in Mombasa has been rejecting patients referred from the county, forcing a number of them to go back and seek treatment locally.

"The challenge comes in admission. Sadly, we have to pay more at these private facilities for us to be admitted," said a kidney patient, Saul Maseghe.

Forced to dig deeper into their pockets

Officer-in-charge of Taita-Taveta Hospice Centre Muriel Kinyanga said some patients have been forced to dig deeper into their pockets to seek services from private facilities.

The centre offers support palliative care services to cancer patients in the county.

"We don't have any patient who has discontinued treatment because we have our medics who attend to them and give them medicine. The challenge comes when these patients require admission because private facilities charge higher fees," she said.

She was optimistic that a solution would be found soon to relieve patients from suffering.

According to the Kenya National Union of Nurses branch secretary-general Richard Matolo, talks between the union and county government officials had failed to produce desired results.

"The county government has refused to hold a dialogue with us so we will not return to work until a solution is found," he said.

Mr Matolo said their hope lies in the ongoing negotiations between the Ministry of Health, Council of Governors and the union at the national level.

The union said their members will not resume duty until their demands have been fully addressed and accused the county government officials of insincerity while addressing their concerns.

The county government has vowed not to pay the striking medics their salaries for participating in an illegal industrial action.

"We have not received salaries from December last year. Our efforts to come to an amicable solution with the county government have been fruitless," Mr Matolo said.

County executive for Health John Mwakima said that even though doctors and other cadres are still on duty, they cannot play the role of nurses and clinical officers.

"We have closed some crucial departments because of the strike. I have been receiving distress messages from people who are in dire need of treatment and, unfortunately, they have to seek services in private facilities," he said.

The county government has taken a hardline stance regarding reinstatement of the health workers.

"We will only consider taking back those who will explain themselves in writing. The recruitment process is ongoing and it has been accorded the urgency it deserves," he said.

The county intends to hire 317 nurses and 92 clinicians.