Mourners stranded after Muranga morgue attendants down tools

Health services were on Friday, November 11 grounded at Murang’a County Referral Hospital after casual workers downed their tools following unpaid salaries for September and October.

All the services were brought to a standstill with inpatients missing meals.

In the female ward, bodies of those who had died remained uncollected while dirty linen littered the floors of all the wards.

The morgue, which is run by casual labourers, remained closed, a move that left hundreds of relatives who had come for bodies to be stranded for hours.

The morgue was, however, opened after the hospital administration learnt the mourners had acquired crude weapons in readiness to break into the facility.

According to the representatives of the causal workers, the administration had promised to pay their salaries by Thursday, November 10 but did not honour their pledge.

“We have to fight for our rights as we have families to support, provide shelter and bills to clear,” said a representative who declined to be named.

Members of the public expressed disappointments with the institution and the county government for failing to pay the health workers despite them rendering services.

The staff have vowed to continue with the industrial action until their demands are met despite the county government officials being unavailable for comment by the time of going to press.