The Ministry of Health has requested that nurses give it 21 days to address the issues affecting those employed under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.
The ministry has also reinstated the operation of anaesthetic services to their previous practice, allowing nurses to offer services independently, without requiring supervision by doctors.
This decision was made in an effort to avert a nationwide strike planned by two groups of nurses, which was set to begin today, with employees staging a sit-in at Afya House to demand action. "We urge the UHC staff to be patient for the 21 days requested by the government to resolve their issues," said Seth Panyako, Secretary General of the Kenya Union of Nurses and Midwives, in an interview with The Standard.
The nurses' union had demanded the permanent and pensionable employment of 2,700 UHC nurses. .Keep ReadingNurses hailed for dedication and care in patient well-beingNurses demand Sh3b in fresh employment pushNurses union issues strike threat over allowances, contract workersUHC, theatre nurses threaten strike over termsAccording to the union, the failure to offer the nurses permanent contracts had resulted in significant disparities in remuneration compared to their counterparts with permanent positions.
