Tharaka-Nithi Governor Samuel Ragwa has threatened to sack nurses who went on strike last week demanding payment of their July salaries.
Addressing media in Chogoria Sunday, Ragwa faulted some nurses who had not resumed work despite receiving their July salaries last Thursday.
Ragwa said the officers were supposed to return to work Sunday and blamed the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) for the delay in resumption of duty.
“I am giving them only today and if they will not get back to work, we will hire other nurses to replace them,” Mr. Ragwa said.
He blamed the nurses for the suffering of patients in all public hospitals with no one to take care of them at the facilities.
“We notified them of the technical hitch in Integrated Financial Management Information System but all they did is continue with the strike as we struggled to transfer patients to other counties for treatment,” he said.
Speaking to media in Chuka Town today, KNUNTharaka-Nithi branch chairperson Fabian Marigu said the union called off the strike on Saturday and all nurses were expected to resume duty on Sunday.
“Those who have not resumed duty have individual reasons because the union asked every health worker to resume working on Sunday,” Mr. Marigu said.
The strike, in the past one week, worsened health situation inTharaka-Nithi County as patients transferred to neighbouring counties were rejected due to inadequate space.
