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30 nurses hired to replace suspended Pumwani staff


The county government has hired 30 nurses for the Pumwani Maternity Hospital to replace those suspended after going on strike early this year.

County Health Executive Bernard Muia said the health workers had already reported for work.

They join the 120 nurses who were left to attend to patients at the institution after 51 were suspended for boycotting work.

According to Mr Muia, the county had also completed interviewing 40 more nurses, who would be deployed to the maternity hospital.

“The county has been working towards addressing the staff shortage at the hospital.

“We have, therefore, employed the first batch of nurses. We will soon send letters to the second lot of nurses who were selected,” said the health executive.

The official said that the devolved unit had set aside Sh510 million to rehabilitate the public maternity hospital.

“The money has been set aside to rehabilitate the hospital, upgrade the mortuary and buy better equipment. It will also be used to improve the nurses’ working conditions,” said Mr Muia, adding that the work would be completed before the next financial year.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses had warned the public against going to the maternity hospital.

Mr Seth Panyako, the union’s secretary-general, advised mothers to go to the Kenyatta National Hospital, instead, until the county government addressed the Pumwani health workers’ concerns.

Mr Panyako dismissed claims that the 30 nurses would take over the jobs of the suspended health workers.

SOURCE: Daily Nation