All health workers withdrawn from Kirinyaga County-KMPDU orders

The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has directed all health workers under the Ministry of Health to go home.

Speaking after inspecting Kerugoya Referral Hospital, KMPDU Secretary General Ouma Oluga said that the facility is still in a deplorable state adding that the County had failed to honour its promise.

“We will withdraw the workers and if you are a health worker and you’re still working in any facility in Kirinyaga County, you are disobeying the law of the Ministry of Health,” said Oluga.

Also Read: KMPDU threatens to withdraw doctors from Kerugoya Hospital within 72 hours

“We have come to enforce the law… we are not going to tolerate anything… meaning that from now on, this hospital is closed,” said Oluga.

On Wednesday, the Union had ordered the hospital to stop admitting patients following an inspection by joint regulatory bodies/ councils that revealed an even more dire situation besides what has been reported in the media.

Oluga who was accompanied by several union official from the National government and Central regions on Friday directed all health workers to go home until further notice.

“Do not allow yourself to be found in professional misconduct, go home until the conditions are safe until you are told that now where you work is safe for you,”

In their recommendations, the union had indicated that no patients should not be admitted until the hospital is thoroughly cleaned and cleanliness maintained, something they noted was yet to be done.

ALSO READ:Governor Waiguru forms taskforce to clean up Kerugoya Hospital

On his part, the Chairman Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Joseph Ngwasi promised to protect all health workers and ensure that their working conditions were improved.

“We will not allow this to continue. Whatever you see here is a tip of the iceberg, we will support our workers because we want them to have good working environments,” he said.

In the joint report dated May 13, 2019, the theatre roof is reported to have been leaking for close to one year and the staff admitted to have been covering machines with polythene bags to prevent damage.

The facility was found not to have an Accident and Emergency Department and only one functioning patient monitor in the theatre recovery room.

The report further indicated that there were constant blockages of the sewer system especially in the maternity unit.

The decision by Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru to sack over 300 casual workers has seen the plight of the hospital hit headlines for the past one week.

ALSO READ:Over 200 health casual workers sacked by Waiguru administration

This even as it emerged that the county chose to retain 12 casual labourers as security guards who also doubled up as patient attendants.

The joint investigating team also established poor waste management at the facility with majority toilet flush systems out of order.

Blood stained walls and floors were predominantly seen in the wards.

“There was a total lack of standard operating procedures on waste disposals with a nurse reported to have contracted Hepatitis B presumably from the unhygienic conditions.

Leaking roofs, dirty sinks, faulty beds and equipment, worn out dirty linen used by the patients evidenced by houseflies all over the wards and the hospital compound were recorded in the report.