Meru health crisis as workers' strike enters 34th day
Meru County Health executive George Gikunda at a past event. File/Nation Media Group.
A health crisis has hit Meru residents following a prolonged strike by medics who want their plight addressed by the county government.
They have cited poor working environment, lack of promotions and staff shortage as some of the concerns that have put them at loggerheads with Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s administration.
Level four and level five hospitals were forced to relocate all patients admitted in their wards as the strike entered its 34th day on Tuesday even as efforts by county government officials failed to unlock the stalemate.
Patients have had to rely on private and mission hospitals for medical care while others travel out of the county to access the critical government service.
“We have been seriously affected by the strike because while medical care in some of the facilities we transferred our patient is wanting, the cost is beyond our reach,” said a member of a family who transferred their relative to a private facility.
The workers, including doctors, nurses, clinical officers, pharmaceutical technologists and lab technologists, downed their tools on August 1, 2024.
The strike coincided with the impeachment of Governor Mwangaza and a long-standing 2024/2025 budget stalemate, affecting its resolution.
However, the governor has since signed the Sh11.5 billion Finance Bill, 2024 into law, assuring locals that their affected services as a result of the standoff will be resolved.
Stalemate
Efforts by Meru County Secretary Kiambi Atheru to appeal to the health workers to return to work awaiting the implementation of the demands fell on deaf ears.
On Monday, the health workers led by Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (Kuco), Kenya Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists (Kupt) and Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) took to the streets of Meru Town accusing the county government of ignoring their demands.
Knun branch Secretary Nesbitt Mugendi said no commitments had been made by the county executive since their strike commenced a month ago.
“We will not go back to work until promotions, effective supply of drugs and employment of more health workers are resolved,”he said.
The health workers say some of the medics have stagnated in one job group for the last 10 years against labour standards.
KMPDU upper eastern Chairman Dennis Mugambi said they went on strike because the county government failed to honor an agreement entered 11 months ago.
“We have a biting shortage of health workers. One nurse serves a ward of 70 patients for a whole week without rest. Despite this, the same worker suffers salary delays and non-remittance of vital deductions such as loans,” Dr Mugambi said.
He accused the Meru County Secretary James Atheru of ignoring the health workers’ plight.
But addressing the striking health workers, the county secretary said all medics under the common cadre group will be promoted immediately.
“The health department is finalising the list of non-common cadre workers eligible for promotion. The list will be on my desk soon and I will forward it to the County Public Service Board. We already have the budget for promotions,” Mr Atheru said.
He said the county executive could not act on the agreement due to a stalemate that led to delays in the budget.
According to a recent report of the County Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee, the total cost of promoting all eligible health workers stands at Sh260 million.
However, only Sh100 million has been allocated in the 2024/2025 financial year budget.
