A go-slow by health workers at the Rift Valley General Hospital (RVPGH) continues even as officials call for urgent intervention to avert a possible crisis.
South Rift Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) Secretary Dr Samuel Oroko says the county is yet to honour the promise it made to health personnel of paying them their leave allowances.
“Health workers are yet to receive their leave allowances which they were promised by the county government by last Friday,” said Dr Oroko.
He urged the county government to lay down strategies to honour health workers promises including absorbing of about 200 health workers to avert any health staff crisis in the county.
Dr Oroko lamented that the county is yet to absorb the health workers employed under the Economic Stimulus programme in 2011 as permanent employees five months after their pledge.
“Besides delaying health workers allowances, the county government has not absorbed the health workers as agreed in a consultative meeting held last year, adding insult to injury,” said the KMPDU representative.
He further noted that absorbing the contracted health workers should be effected to strengthen the health sector in the county.
However, the county government through the public service board member in charge of Administration, Finance and ICT Peter Mbae has maintained that it is committed to laying down strategies to streamline the health sector.
Dr Oroko urged the county government to be sincere in its promises with health workers, reiterating the union’s support to ensure the public gets quality health services.
“We shall not sit back and watch the health sector collapsing, we want to see health care workers serving the public. But for their services to be effective, the county government must give relevant support,” he said.