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1,200 Health Workers Sacked
- Details
- Published on Monday, 02 July 2007 04:17
National Nurses Association of Kenya national chairman Luke Simba with committee member Alfred Obuya during the Press conference at the Professional Centre, Nairobi, yesterday. Photo by William Oeri .The National Nurses Association of Kenya chairman, Mr Luke Simba, appealed to President Kibaki to rescind Mr Ogongo's decision. In a circular dated November 18 and copied to provincial medical officers, Mr Ogongo terminated the services of the nurses, who have already worked for six months, and also recalled some 700 nurses who were suspended over the strike to demand better pay.However, the suspended nurses were reinstated two weeks ago by President Kibaki after he agreed to a request by former Health minister Charity Ngilu to give back the jobs. Mrs Ngilu had led a Kamba delegation to State House, Nairobi.
The nurses, whose contract has now been terminated, were hired in June by Mr Ogongo's predecessor, Mr Patrick Khaemba, after their names were listed in newspapers. The affected nurses, who were posted in various district and provincial hospitals, are yet to be paid their salaries since they reported for duty.
Yesterday, Mr Simba said: "The arbitrary action by Mr Ogongo is ill-advised and is likely to compromise health care provision in various public health facilities, which are currently under-staffed." He went on: "At the same time, the PS has exhibited a high disregard to the goodwill extended by the Head of State recently to restore sanity and confidence in the health sector."
Mr Simba was speaking at a Press conference held at the Professional Centre, Nairobi. He was flanked by the association's treasurer, Mr Jeremiah Maina and committee member Obuya Obegu.Mr Obegu appealed to the Government to desist from "politicising" health issues.Mr Maina termed as "contravention of labour laws" the termination of the nurses' jobs.Sources at the Health ministry told the Nation that the ministry plans to employ 400 nurses under the Bill Clinton Foundation and the Global Fund malaria project.In his circular, Mr Ogongo said the Government had reinstated the suspended nurses and asked those contracted to give way. They should stop work by November 30.
In an advert carried in the Daily Nation newspaper on June 6, Mr Khaemba promised the recruited nurses that their letters of appointment specifying the terms and conditions of employment would be issued in their respective stations.Yesterday, scores of the affected nurses accused senior ministry officials of "betrayal" after they claimed that the nurses had been recruited to serve on six-month contracts.
A nurse who sought anonymity said she resigned from her previous job after her name appeared in the newspapers. "I have incurred huge debts since I was deployed at the Machakos District Hospital in June...All along, I assumed that I would repay the money with ease since I had been employed on permanent and pensionable terms of service by the ministry."Several nurses said the ministry had issued them with personal numbers and appointment letters, three months after they were recruited.
The angry nurses said they would hold a meeting at Afya House, Nairobi to air their grievances. Panic and anxiety gripped Kisii and Nyamira district Hospitals yesterday following a directive to terminate services of 78 medical workers who were recruited recently. Fifty-two were from Kisii and 26 from Nyamira.They received the sacking news as they reported to work yesterday morning while others received the news as they discharged duties at the hospitals. The affected workers camped at the offices of their bosses to get more information on move. The chairman of the Kisii branch of the nurses' association, Mr Fredrick Oigo, protested against the action, saying it would compromise service delivery at the hospitals.
