Busia patients in agony as nurses' strike enters third week

It is a hot afternoon, and Jane Anyango sits pensively outside the Busia Referral Hospital, her hands on her cheek in deep thought, wondering what to do next.

Anyango brought her brother, Joseph Aderi, a week ago for surgery after he developed a spine problem following a grisly road accident.

Her brother has not been attended to for the last two days by nurses who are on their third week of the strike. Aderi is in excruciating pain.

Anyango says she is in a dilemma since her brother is not getting treatment, and she is unable to transfer him to a different hospital, considering her critical condition.

"A week ago, things were not that bad, as some nurses were on duty, but currently, things are out of control, and the situation is dire. Nothing is going on. My brother is experiencing a lot of pain. He was admitted, but right now the hospital is not admitting any patients, and those who had already been admitted have been told to look for treatment elsewhere," said Anyango.

She added, "The problem is that I cannot just take my brother out of the hospital; he is in a critical condition, and I am now wondering how to transport and transfer him to a private facility, but the problem is that he had already started treatment before the situation worsened."

Anyango now calls upon the county government of Busia to intervene and implement the grievances being raised by nurses to ensure people get health services as required.

"Many patients are going through hell. Right now there is no nurse to look after my brother. I am appealing to our governor to come to the rescue of the masses and put an end to the perennial strike in Busia. People are suffering just to fulfil what medics are demanding so that the health sector, which is on its knees, can start working for people to enjoy the fruits of devolution," said Anyango.

According to Violet Omoto, the nurse in charge of Busia County Referral Hospital, the largest facility is not admitting any patients, and instead it is discharging those already admitted due to a lack of nurses who are on strike.

"We are not admitted at all because all nurses are on strike. Our maternity is not working because there are no nurses to look after the new mothers," said Omoto.

Omoto added that most of the wards are not working, and those working have few patients apart from the outpatient section, which is operating.

"Generally, in most of our wards, nothing much is going on. Like in the child-born unit, we have a few children who are below 1 kilogram, and we are closely monitoring them. In the general ward, we have 22 patients whom the doctors have attended to, and five of them have been discharged. Those remaining are in bad condition, where their relatives cannot take them out, while others have no relatives to come to their rescue," said Omoto.

She added, "However, in the outpatient section, things are going on as usual; the laboratory, physiotherapy, X-ray and dental units are operating."

However, Chief Officer for Medical Services at Busia County, Dr Wilberforce Lusambasaid, said the county government has already engaged nurses to resume work and work out the remaining issues they are demanding.

"The County Secretary has already written a letter to the nurses to call off the strike so that we can engage on the issues they are raising. Already we have implemented most of the grievances they have raised, including promotion. What is remaining is the issue of statutory deduction, which is affecting nurses across the country, which we acknowledge, and which the treasury has promised that it is working on a formula to try and at least reduce and make sure it is up to date," said Lusamba.

On the 9th of this month, nurses went on strike, paralysing health services in all public hospitals in Busia County due to unfulfilled promises by Governor Paul Otuoma.

The nurses accused Governor Otuoma of failing to address the shortage of nurses, salary increments and poor working conditions.

Speaking at the Busia County Referral Hospital, the healthcare workers said they will not return to work until their demands are met.

"The county government has consistently ignored and neglected the nurses; Governor Otuoma has bluntly refused to engage with nurses; not even a single one of our demands has been met since we last called off our strike," said Dr James Emusugut, Secretary-General of the Busia Nurses Union.

He added, "It is a shame to see an entire referral hospital has only two nurses working day and night without a rest. If the governor does not address the shortage issue, we will not go back to work. To date, our salaries have not been increased, and we are operating in poor working conditions."

Emusugut said that nurses' money is being deducted without remitting.

"The governor at one point requested the employment of more nurses through the Salary and Remuneration Commission, but nothing has been done. We are having money deducted, and it is not being remitted. The governor has left the health sector to crumble, and it is on its knees, and yet millions of money are being stolen through corruption," said Emusugut.

The nurses have urged families with their members admitted to the hospital to withdraw the patients and take them to private health facilities.

"We are sorry for our clients; we want to tell families who have admitted their people to the hospital to take them to private ones because we are going to withdraw all services in all public health facilities," said Emusugut.