The Machakos County Government says it is ready to sit down with striking nurses in a bid to restore health services that have been paralysed for a week.
Nurses across the county downed their tools last week, leaving patients stranded and hospitals overwhelmed.
The strike follows a nationwide call issued in May, with health workers pushing for promotions, payment of statutory deductions, compliance with a 2024 Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) circular, and implementation of a collective bargaining agreement that includes salary increases.
Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi, speaking at Kithimani Salvation Army Church, said the county was keen to resolve the impasse quickly to ease the suffering of patients.
“We are determined to solve this matter so that we move forward. Let’s not make it political because those who are suffering are the patients,” he said.
Dr. Mwangangi also observed that the quality of health in Machakos would also attract patients from beyond the county, and therefore, there was need to call off the stalemate.
Meanwhile, patients at the county’s top referral facility, Machakos Level 5 Hospital, have been forgotten as the strike continues to be devastating.