Empty beds at the Garissa County Referral Hospital. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
The health crisis in Garissa has deepened following the decision by clinical officers in the county to join the nurses’ strike which is now in its fourth month.21 clinical officers attached to Garissa Referral Hospital joined the nationwide strike, crippling medical services at the facility.The worst-affected sections are the operating theatres, emergency unit and the maternity wing which have been in operation before the clinical officers went on strike.A clinical officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said operations at the facility have stopped and health services will not be offered until their demands are met.“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,” said the officer, as quoted by The Star.The Referral facility that serves the neighbouring counties of Tana River, Kitui, Wajir and Mandera has not been admitting patients since the nurses’ strike started months ago.The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has maintained they will not suspend the strike unless their demands are met by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).KUCO chairman Peterson Wachira said the strike has been called over delayed salaries, unpaid internship and unfair job evaluation by SRC.The clinical officers demand to be placed in job group C3 which will have them get a salary of between Sh44,000 and Sh56,000.The SRC had placed the clinical officers under job group B3 which would see them take home between Sh16,000 and Sh20,000 a month.“The Salaries and Remuneration Commission can therefore not term us unskilled. The job group B3 is equivalent to job group G, which is three job groups down the grade,” said Wachira.