Nakuru County Labour Officer has directed a private hospital to pay in full terminal dues of eight nurses who were ‘unfairly fired’ after the disappearance of two patients who had pending bills.
The eight employees including five nurses and three nursing aids accused Mediheal Hospital management of unfair termination saying it was not their duty to guard discharged patients.
The labour officer Joel Omweno directed the hospital’s management to settle the matter in a week’s time failure to which legal action will be taken.
“The eight employees reported the unfair termination and lack of the management’s willingness to pay their terminal dues,” Omweno said.
Omweno called upon the hospital management to settle the one-month pay in lieu of notice, any pending leave, unpaid days worked, any overtime worked and rest days.
Peril Cheruto, a nurse who was among the victims, said the patients who had been discharged disappeared at the facility on March 5 and 10 respectively.
“Nurses do not have obligation to handle patient who has been discharged. The two disappeared during the day and having been mobile patients, they were not under our watch,” Cheruto said.
One patient, who had been involved in accident and treated at the facility, escaped without paying Sh85, 000. The other patient was at the private suit and was to pay Sh400, 000.
