Two babies die as Garissa Medics go-slow enters day three

Two newborn babies have died at the Garissa Referral Hospital as a boycott by a section of doctors and nurses who are protesting their delayed August salaries entered its third day on Monday.

The two bring the total of deaths attributed to the go-slow to three after a premature baby who had been put in an incubator died on Saturday when the medics started the boycott.

Although the gates to the hospital were open to the public, doctors and nurses did not attend to the sick but were instead seen in groups inside the facility’s compound as casual laborers swept the corridors and cleaned the seemingly deserted wards.

The medics were expected to meet county officials in a bid to resolve the standoff but the meeting did not materialise.

Nurses and doctors employed by the county government who have received their August salaries reported for duty and some were seen assisting expectant mothers at the maternity facility.

All the other medics and workers seconded by the national government captured in the integrated personal payroll data (IPPD) are yet to be paid.

This comes in the wake of a nationwide health crisis which has seen health workers from various counties down their tools following up to three months of delays in their salaries.

About two weeks ago, Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero threatened to sack and the replace striking Nairobi County health workers saying the county has resolved the outstanding salary and allowance issues.

Terming their strike illegal, Kidero intimated that most of the striking nurses belong to the Kenya National Union of Nurses and added that the county government only recognises the Kenya Government Workers Union.

Kidero’s threat mirrored that of Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua who threatened to sack all health workers who refused to resume work by September 4, 2015.

Gachagua said that besides having no genuine grievances, the health workers have an obligation to obey the court order demanding that they return to work.

At the beginning of September, Meru County health workers went on strike accusing the county government of ignoring their grievances despite having been issued with a strike notice two weeks before.

The health workers wanted the County Government of Meru to address salary delays, lack of promotions, lack of hardship and transfer allowances, poor working conditions, lack of annual pay increments and punitive transfers.

This happened even as the Council of Governors blamed the national government for all the salary woes in the counties, saying workers’ salaries have delayed due to a delay by the national government in releasing county funds.

The governors claimed that the 3-month delay in salaries has put county operations in limbo and some county governments have been forced to use their savings or get overdrafts to pay staff and stop the situation from escalating.