Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) and Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) in Homa Bay, have sent a plea to the county government to consider hiring more medical staff to cope with the influx of patients.
The Homa Bay Unions have been complaining of being under pressure of having to work extra hours to meet their medical expectations in public health facilities because of a shortage of staff.
KNUN executive secretary Omondi Nyonje addressing the press on Tuesday said the county needs an additional 500 nurses, 15 doctors,180 Laboratory Technicians, 300 Public Health Officers and 100 nutritionists to curb the current shortage.
“The number of patients in the public hospitals has increased due to the new Governor’s zeal to revamp the sector, something that now calls for more medical officers,” Nyonje stated.
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Nyonje further asked the county governor Gladys Wanga to speed up the pending promotions and confirmations of health workers as she promised during her campaigns.
“I want to thank our Governor for considering our sector as her first priority but let her speed up the promises she made on the pending promotions of the workers,” he added.
The Chairman of the Union of Laboratory Department in Homa Bay, George Angar said they are now capable of conducting a lot of tests in all the level 4 hospitals due to the regular supply of reagents and the full hemogram machine.
“We are glad that the new government has revamped our departments, but please add more officers to serve the patients on time,” Angar stated.