Patients have been assured of uninterrupted operations at Kenyatta National Hospital despite the fears of disruption after nurses threatened to strike
The hospital on Sunday issued a statement indicating that it is aware of the complaints raised by nurses and efforts are underway to address the situation with the government and trade union officials.
KNH said the reason behind the complaints is not related to non-payment of salaries since it has already settled all the salaries until March this year. The hospital said the issue is delayed remittance of statutory deductions and other payments made on behalf of staff.
The complaints were brought up by the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives, which is threatening to undertake industrial action over the same.
Speaking on the matter, the Union Secretary-General Seth Panyako said most of the nurses have been working on contracts over the years, but the delay in deductions had created difficulties for them to withdraw their salaries from the bank.
Also, he raised the issue of recruiting people in the hospital, where some employees who are hired recently are getting paid more than the other employees who have served the institution for many years.
According to KNH, the problem is associated with how the hospital receives its funds, since the hospital operates on a reimbursement policy under various health financing schemes.
Regarding pensions, the hospital clarified that it still follows the mandated procedure. In addition, over the years, some employees have been transferred from contract positions to permanent positions. Further discussions are still ongoing regarding the matter to find a solution.
The hospital stated that it will continue providing its services and addressing the issue through negotiations. However, it is not yet known whether the nurses will go on strike or not. Nevertheless, any disruption in KNH will impact many patients since it handles many referral cases.
