Over 160 patients forced out of hospital as nurses’ strike enters day two

Over 160 patients from Nyahururu County Hospital in Laikipia County have been discharged from the health facility after the ongoing medics’ strike entered day two.

A spot check by Citizen TV revealed that the hospital Wards remained deserted with only six patients, among them three women and three children, confined to one Ward.

The patients lamented the agony they were going through claiming they had only received pain killers since they were admitted.

The health workers, among them nurses and doctors, are protesting failure by the county government to honour an earlier agreement to effect their promotions, uniform and leave allowances.

According to the Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Lawrence Kamande, the management made the decision to shut down the facility after the nurses downed their tools.

The patients have now been forced to turn to private hospitals for treatment and want the government to intervene and ensure that normalcy returns to the hospitals.

Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Laikipia branch chairperson Purity Matu, however, accused the County Public Service Board of failing to address the issue despite them having forwarded all the necessary documents for the promotions.