The unions of healthcare workers have affirmed their decision to go on strike on Monday. In a press briefing, the workers said they will strike because the government has failed to prioritize their safety while dealing with Coronavirus patients. The government has not provided them with Personal Protective Equipment and sufficient training to handle COVID-19.
The healthcare unions say the government is not engaging them and does not seem to care about quality healthcare delivery.
“We are here to reaffirm today that healthcare workers unions and the society, that the strike we called is going to begin as scheduled on Monday, so that we can have some time and focus on the things that need to be done,” a member of Healthcare workers’ unions said.
The health unions claim the government is not prioritizing the safety of medical workers. The front-line workers have not been provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and have not been trained on how to safely handle COVID-19 cases. They insist the government has ignored their grievances and is not willing to address the issues raised.
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“You have seen that the medics who have been infected in line of duty have also infected patients. For you to protect Kenyans, you must start with protecting that healthcare worker. If you don’t do that, they either infect their patients or they will be quarantined. Others will go into isolation and you’ll have nobody to treat Kenyans or diagnose cases at the community level. That is how outbreaks spiral out,” asserted a member of Healthcare workers’ unions.
This is not the first time Kenyan healthcare workers have talked of going on strike. A few weeks ago, nurses at Mbagathi County Hospital went on a go-slow in protest due to lack of protective gear and training.
