Empty corridors at the Kiambu district hospital on December 11, 2013.
Medical practitioners are on strike countrywide. PHOTO | JENNIFER
MUIRURI
NATION MEDIA GROUP
The Industrial Court on Monday morning
extended orders stopping the strike by health workers to December 24th
when the case will be heard.
Last Wednesday, Health
Cabinet Secretary James Macharia sought a court order to end the strike,
which he called unconstitutional and contrary to the Labour Relations
Act, which prohibits essential services staff from boycotting work.
(READ: Unity talks fail to end health workers’ strike)
The strike entered it's sixth day Monday, paralysing operations in hospitals and health centres countrywide. (READ: Hospitals paralysed as strike enters sixth day)
On
Sunday, the chairman of the Kenya National Dentists Association, Dr
Sultan Matendechero, maintained the strike was on, adding that the
government had not engaged the workers, and insisting health workers
will not be intimidated by the government move to hire unlicensed
people.
The Kenya Health Professional Association
secretary-general Moses Lore also blamed the government. “Nurses are
already working in counties but we cannot just move into the new
dispensation without clear terms, a thing the government has failed to
avail,” he said.
However, Murang’a county governor
Mwangi wa Iria, through a notice placed in the Sunday Nation of December
15th, ordered all medical practitioners and medics who are employees of
the county government to resume duty on Monday, warning those who would
defy the order that they would face ‘the relevant human resource
consequences.’ (READ: Murang’a county governor Mwangi wa Iria orders medics back to work)
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