Leaders among them church leaders are calling on the government to give the discussion of health workers a serious space that it requires claiming that many Kenyans are suffering and others dying.
West Media spot check in several hospitals, health facilities exposes empty beds and only a few patients who however are receiving treatment but there are no more admissions as those who had been admitted before the strike were released by the management to go home or look for medication elsewhere as health care providers were not there.
It must have pained most of them as the trouble of not receiving treatment lingered in their eyes, especially those who could not afford to pay private hospitals.
In Webuye County hospitals we met empty beds and only a few patients who were around though they had been treated.
Female ward was totally closed with the padlock just to show how serious the strike is and also to avoid admissions.
Patients we managed to talk to in the hospital counted themselves lucky to have been treated as others were returned home, although we learned that some had been retained due to huge bills they owe the hospital.
Church leaders led by Bishop Kisabuli Masambu of Wabukhonyi Christian Community worship centre called on the government to be a bit serious with the conversation of the strike as many people are suffering and said some are dying because they can’t afford to get private services due to hard economic times most of them are going through.
He called for soberness and said if the government has failed to sit around the table, they should bring on board other players like the National Council of Churches in Kenya to help strike the deal between them and the medics.
On his part, Presiding Clerk Friends Church in Kenya Dr. John Muhanji said it’s better if they will agree to pay doctors in trenches so that they can return to work.
He has however called on health workers to tone down and stop hard lines and agree on the way forward.
