A section of Garissa Referral Hospital. CO’s have downed their tools. [Photo:The Star]
A health crisis is looming at Garissa County hospital after the 21 clinical officers attached to the facility downed their tools. The move comes after their union asked them to strike over remuneration and working conditions among others reasons.
The strike has left different sections of the hospitals paralyzed with affected areas being operating theatres, emergency unit and maternity wing.
The maternity wing is completely paralyzed after the clinical officers and nurses withdrew their services. The clinical officers’ strike has entered its fifth day. An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the facility is no longer in a position to deal with emergency without the clinical officers at work.
“God forbid there is a major emergency. The hospital will not be able to handle it because as it is, it has been relying on the clinical officers,” the officer said, as quoted by Star.
The local daily also learned that the patients were being turned away from the facility following the move of the clinical officers to strike.
Efforts to reach out to newly appointed acting CEO Salah Dagane for a comment over the matter proved futile.
The patients have continued to lament about the pathetic conditions at the facility in the recent past.