Nurses demonstrating to push for the signing of a CBA. [Photo: the-star.co.ke]
Nurses' union officials from the North Rift region have warned that millions of children in counties bordering Uganda and South Sudan are at risk of being crippled by communicable diseases like Polio and Measles, due to prolonged nurses' strike that has paralysed service delivery in public hospitals.
According to the officials from eight counties of the region, immunization of children has not been taking place in government facilities for the last four months despite the high birth rate in the region.
This, they said, puts children aged below five years at risk of contracting diseases like Polio that can cause permanent crippling.
Addressing the press in Eldoret town, the nurses union secretary generals from the counties led by Benson Biwott (Elgeyo Marakwet), Jackline Chai (West Pokot), Paul Sang (Nandi) and Sumai Cheserek (Trans Nzoia) urged the county and national government to engage all stakeholders to end the health crisis across the country.
"Many of those children that have been born and failed to be immunized will contract these diseases as a result of a strike that is avoidable," noted Mr. Biwott.
"Better prevent today by accepting nurses demands because if the situation continues four years from today the country will witness communicable diseases that had been contained coming back and hitting hard our young generation," Chain added.
Nurses have been on strike for close to four months now demanding for the implementation of a contentious Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) they signed with the Council of Governors (CoG).