Mombasa Nurses Union secretary general Peter Maroko at a past media briefing. [Photo/ Maxwell Ngala]
The Mombasa County government has been urged to find a solution to the ongoing nurses’ strike.Speaking in Mombasa on Tuesday, Mikindani MCA Juma Renson Thoya said the nurses’ strike has paralyzed activities in all public hospitals in the county.Thoya urged the county leadership to hold talks with the nurses, saying the issue should be solved at the county level since health is a devolved function.The MCA said it was high time the county government handled the matter with the urgency it requires because majority of residents in the county can’t afford to seek medical treatment at private facilities.“Expectant mothers and children have been affected the most affected by the nurses’ strike that has now entered its month. We should not wait for the National government to contain the crisis,” said Thoya.Thoya said majority of patients especially those in peri-urban areas were suffering, adding that there was an urgent need for the county government to strike a deal with the nurses.“These are professionals and it pains me when I see them on the streets. We need to reach an amicable solution,” he added.Human rights defenders in the county led by Haki Africa have appealed the county government to focus on solving the nurses’ strike and ensure medical services in the county return to normalcy.Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid said the prolonged strike has denied residents their right to access proper medical services.However, Mombasa Nurses Union secretary general Peter Maroko has maintained that the nurses will not resume work until their demands are met.