Patients in Kisumu County can heave a sigh of reprieve after the health workers accepted to end their three-week strike.
The workers opted to return to work after weeks of a standoff with the county government.
Over 7000 health workers reported to work on Friday. The new move comes after the workers and county government of Kisumu signed a return to work agreement
On Thursday, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officer Kisumu branch secretary Craus Okumu said that the end of the strike marks the beginning of a new era. He also said that the county government is ready to meet the requirements of the workers.
“We have put on hold the strike for three months to see if the county can hold their end of the bargain, which I hope they do,” said Okumu.
He, however, added, “after the expiry of the suspension period, the nurses will be at liberty to commence another strike if the agreement is not met.”
The county government and health workers reached an agreement on different issues including statutory deductions and payment of salaries.
The strike partially paralysed the operations in different health centres. Efforts by the government to end the strike had hit a dead-end before the recent agreement.