The situation in Kisumu county's public hospitals continues to worsen as the ongoing medics strike enters its second week, with there being no solution in sight yet.
The medics have accused the government of failing to honour their earlier agreement, where they are demanding for study leaves, hospital insurance cover and promotions.
By last week, patients were being removed from public hospitals, with patients now shunning the hospitals, where only nurses, who are also just back from a strike, are present.
However, the county governor Anyang' Nyong'o, says that the medics are not sincere in their strike reasons, insisting that the county has done its best to keep then in hospitals.
"The medical officers are not being honest. They swore an oath and it is disturbing to note that some of them are willing to let innocent people die because they have not received letters of promotion,” he said on Sunday.
The county boss, whose threat to sack the striking medics has been defied, dismissed claims that his administration is not keen on bettering the situation in the health sector.
He said that the health sector problem is a national issue and is not unique to Kisumu.
But the medics, through the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nyanza Branch Chair Kevin Osuri said that apart from refusing to implement their 2017 CBA, the county has also not been been open to deliberations.
"This is the only county which has not promoted any doctor since devolution started while enslaving the few available ones,” said Osuri.
The remarks were echoed by Kisumu Residents Voice Association Chair Audi Ogada, with county nurses too throwing their weight behind the doctors in healing blames on the county.
This comes as an embarrassment for Nyong'o, a former Cabinet Minister for Health Services, and a county chief whose 2017 manifesto included strong promises to revive the ailing sector.