Patients suffer as Machakos nurses’ strike enters sixth day

The nurses are demanding that the county honours the collective bargaining agreement that granted them a salary hike.

The deafening silence outside the Machakos level five hospital belies the horrors suffered by patients admitted here.

For days, these patients have been left to their own devices as the nurses’ strike in Machakos County continues to bite.

“We are suffering here, it’s not our fault. You are discharged and told to go home when you can’t even walk,” said one patient.

Another patient said, “He was burned and came here for treatment. Since last week, he has not received any care and is not being washed.”

An impromptu visit to health facilities in the county revealed the sickening situation where patients are still admitted, while some wards remain empty. The county senator is now asking the county government to act swiftly to restore services.

“Kindly meet their grievances so they can come back to work, or find a way to ensure they are back. People are in pain. A cancer patient has gone four days without painkillers. Someone with a wound has not been cleaned,” the senator said.

Nurses in the Machakos county government have kept away from their work stations as the dispute between them and the county escalated into industrial action, with the strike kicking off last week.

The nurses’ strike came into effect following a nationwide notice issued in May this year in which nurses were pushing for, among other issues, implementation of the collective bargaining agreement, promotions, non-remittance of statutory deductions and non-compliance with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission circular of 2024.

The nurses have maintained that nothing short of the full resolution of their grievances will see them return to work. As the two sides continue to take hardline positions, patients continue to bear the brunt of the dispute.