The Ministry of Health and Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) today clashed over the ongoing nationwide nurses strike with the former claiming that talks to end it were at an advanced stage.
But the union dismissed claims by the ministry about the ongoing talks aimed at ending the five-month-long strike, and instead accused the Cabinet Secretary for Health Cleopa Mailu of lying to Kenyans.
The government, through the ministry of health, had claimed that consultations between the Council of Governors (CoG) and the nurses’ union were at an advanced stage and that at 60 percent of the health workers had already reported back to work.
“We are holding consultative meetings with the health workers and we are expecting them to be back in wards immediately they sign the return to work formula,” Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu said yesterday.
The CS was speaking during the launch of a ‘re-capture’ campaign aimed at immunizing children born during the industrial strike. He also noted that the number of the number of mothers dying of child-related complications had doubled in the last four months.
Mailu further urged the striking nurses to immediately resume duty to avert the looming health crisis.