Clinical officers threaten to down tools come Monday

Clinical officers are still relentless about their strike as they are set to begin it on Monday if their demands remain unaddressed. 

According to the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) Chief Executive George Gibore, the government has been lackadaisical in terms of addressing their demands and preventing the strike.

So far, nine clinical officers have succumbed to Covid-19 with the most recent casualty being Victor Kipngetich from Nandi county, who died on  Wednesday.

763 clinical officers have also been infected with the virus while the number of clinicians currently battling with Covid-19 cases is 37. 

KUCO had Issued the strike notice on November 23, a week after the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union issued a nationwide strike notice that is set to be on December 6.

 The clinicians asserted they would withdraw their services if in 14 days the government failed to provide them with Personal Protective Equipment and a medical cover. 

On Friday, the clinical officers heightened their demand for standard PPE in all hospitals.

Doctors will go on strike on Monday after they reject attempts by the Senate Health Committee to buy more time for mediation. 

On Thursday Labour CS Simon Chelugui 

 told health workers to suspend the strike. However, KUCO said the government has been reluctant to avert the looming health crisis.

Gibore said, "It is our feeling that our sacrifice to serve in a hazardous environment is not being acknowledged and appreciated. They now want to arm-twist and force us to commit suicide while in the line of duty under the guise of patriotism."

He reminded the government that the issue is a serious plight for health workers as it is a matter of life and death. 

He asserted, “We wish to remind him that this is a matter of life and death. They are asking us to accept that we continue dying as they continue the rhetoric they have used since the onset of the pandemic.”