Medical practitioners seeks Politicians backing

By Elizabeth Angira

Medical practitioners ask politicians to incorporate them to contribute in their Manifesto as they challenge Kisii Governor Ongwae to reinstate nurses who were sacked

Medical practitioners in Kisii County have raised concern for being sidelined in making decisions on the ongoing politics in Kenya.

According to the medical practitioners they have felt the gap for not being incorporated to contribute in their manifesto

Speaking with the press in Kisii Town, KMPDU liaison officer Dr Otucho Obure, said that they play a big role in the country by ensuring they provide good services to the public.

Mr Otucho said that the medics play a big role they restore the health of the public.

“A health nation is a development nation, “said Mr Otucho.

Dr Otucho lamented on challenges facing the health workers citing overworking due to understaffing, lack of medicines and inadequate facilities at their work stations.

The constraints should be fixed if the workers were to implement the Universal Healthcare coverage.

He challenged the politicians to sensitize voters to register for NHIF.

But Kenya National Union of Nurses, deputy national chairman, Fredrick Ougo introduced another angle to the stand-off by claiming voting as a bloc from Nyanza may l not be supported by the members.

Mr Ougo remarked the ODM leader Raila Odinga seeking to be propped up for presidency and COTU secretary general should intervene to resolve the healthcare workers’ plight.

However the Healthcare workers in Kisii County who were fired when they downed their working tools have given conditions over their participation in the impending general elections.

The nurses and clinical officers through their respective trade unions challenged incoming governor and elected leaders in the next dispensation to address their plight or risk losing their votes.

The workers’ unions’ officials said it will not be business as usual if the 100 officers were not reinstated for they were constitutionally demanding for improvement of their welfare.

Lazarus Obwoge for Kenya Union Clinical Officers decried the suffering of the members who had been denied livelihoods to provide for their families, children and rent.

According to him, the clinical officers depended on their salaries to sustain themselves unlike other workers who had multiple sources of income.

County government of Kisii was on spot after dismissing from service some striking nurses and clinical officers irrespective of the signing of return to work formula.