How Governor Laboso is making the sick go through hell

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Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso is among the few county heads struggling to live to their many promises they made during the elections period.

The governor has gone through a lot of difficulties trying to maintain the standards of the people of Bomet. Right now the sick are in Bomet are crying.

Health services were paralysed in 134 hospitals for the third day on Wednesday in Bomet County as a strike by nurses continues.

Nurses

A crisis meeting convened on Monday afternoon by Governor Joyce Laboso to address the twin issues: strike and the unprecedented case of four stillbirths recorded at Longisa County Referral Hospital at the weekend, failed to end the stalemate.

The crisis deepened as the medical services department confirmed through a report that the number of stillbirths recorded since Sunday had risen to five.

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Nine expectant mothers in various stages of labour were allegedly abandoned by doctors and nurses overnight at the mother and child clinic on Friday.

The 259 striking nurses, who started a go-slow on Friday, cited failure by the county government to implement a collective bargaining agreement signed on November 2, 2017, addressing a myriad of issues including promotions, re-designations and confirmation of those serving on contract.

Two specialist nurses have resigned in the last two weeks under unclear circumstances and were later hired by another hospital in Uasin Gishu County.

The worst affected by the strike is the referral hospital that has 102 nurses, while the others are spread across Tegat, Sigor, Cheptalal, Ndanai and Koiwa sub-county hospitals as well as health centres and dispensaries.

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“We have taken the radical move following failure by the county government to factor in money in the 2018/2019 budgetary allocations for promotions, which are long overdue, and confirmation of nurses serving on contract terms,” Mr Vincent Rono, the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) branch secretary, said.

The nurses claimed that the house allowances paid to those in the same job group were not uniform and that they were intimidated whenever they raised the issue with the human resource department.

Patients at the health facilities were turned away, leaving doctors and other cadre of staff struggling to attend to the high numbers.

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“We are asking patients to seek services at private clinics and neighbouring counties until the dispute with our employer is sorted out,” Mr Rono said, noting that health facilities in the county are treating many people from other regions.

Do you think Laboso should join the list of shame for letting down Bomet County?

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