Health sector crisis in unending staff strikes in Trans Nzoia
Months of push and pull between health workers and the Trans Nzoia County government over an unimplemented Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has adversely affected the sector.
The standoff over the CBA on remuneration and working conditions has seen an ineffective workforce impacting negatively on service delivery.
Go slows and strike threats have become the order of the day in the last nine months, as the county government attributes the current situation to budgetary constraints, hampering its ability to employ nurses as demanded by their union.
Stakeholders in the sector are now concerned about the poor state of the county’s health sector.
The push for better terms of service by the healthcare workers in the county has been a thorn in the flesh for Governor George Natembeya’s government, which is on the spot over unfulfilled promises to the medics.
The county government has witnessed year-long protracted wrangling between the healthcare workers, mobilised under their unions.
This has compromised service delivery and thrown the public health sector into a crisis.
Earlier in April, the county government threatened to recruit doctors from the East African region following a doctor's strike that paralysed health services in all its health facilities.
Governor Natembeya has now threatened to sack the striking doctors and source replacements from neighbouring Uganda.
Among others, the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) demands the employment of more nurses to solve chronic understaffing that has led to significant burnout among them.
It has also cited professional stagnation due to a lack of promotion and organisational structure to manage the workforce.
Knun says only about 470 nurses are serving in 84 health facilities in the county, falling short of the staffing ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to Trans Nzoia County Knun Chairman Cyprian Nyakundi, more than 27 nurses have since quit employment in the county to seek better prospects abroad.
Toxic work environment
Union officials attributed the high turnover of nurses to the hostile and toxic work environment, claiming the county administration has put a caveat on promotion of staff, leading to stagnation and lack of career progression.
“A good number of nurses have left to seek better jobs due to poor working conditions in the county. The county government has not operationalised theatres in the sub-county facilities due to the biting shortage and this has caused undue strain on the only facility Wamalwa Kijana Teaching and Referral Hospital that offers cesarean section service,” Edward Cheruiyot, the Knun branch secretary said.
Apart from the severe shortage of nurses, healthcare workers have also protested inadequate infrastructure which their union blames for the high maternal and neonatal mortalities in the county.
“At a minimum, the county is required to employ over 800 nurses to promote primary quality health service delivery. The gap now is about 800 nurses,” Mr Cheruiyot said.
The medics have issued several strike notices this year, including a letter by the Knun National Secretary-General Seth Panyako in July demanding the implementation of their CBA by Natembeya’s administration.
Two months ago, nurses suspended their strike after the county labour office brokered a truce to allow negotiations between their union and the county government on the signed CBA.
Following failed negotiations, the union has since activated an industrial action and asked its members to down tools starting next week until the signed CBA is fully implemented.
The looming nurses strike is a big setback to an already struggling sector as it is set to paralyse services at health facilities, putting patients at risk.
“The insincerity and professional dishonesty by the County Secretary Truphosa Amere is what makes us distrust the county government. She presided over negotiations and signing of an agreement with the nurses, which she then deliberately refused to honour by giving restrictive advisories to the County Public Service Board (CPSB) against the replacement of staff who have exited and promotion of deserving officers,” noted Mr Cheruiyot.
Last year, Governor Natembeya received a task force report on health sector reforms chaired by Dr Ferdinand Nang’ole which recommended a review of the terms of service of health workers and proper equipping of health facilities to boost service delivery.
Governor Natembeya told Nation. Africa that some of the demands by the health workers are being addressed by the relevant departments, adding that part of the challenge is delayed disbursement of county funds to facilitate its financial plans.
