The Kenya Health Union Caucus have asked the government to provide armed security to health facilities and medical personnel to ensure their safety at work.
The union says that their members’ lives are constantly threatened in their line of duty due to lack of proper security and the attack on the Kitengela Sub County Hospital health personnel during Saba saba demonstrations just highlighted their plight for armed security.
While addressing the media at the Kitengela Sub County Hospital Peterson Wachira, the chairperson of the Health Union Caucus said that most of the doctors who were on duty during the attack are still traumatized though none of them was physically hurt as they were forced to camouflage as patients to avoid being attacked.
“It is detestable that any Kenyan would want to harm the people that they would want to run to save them. We are putting the government on notice that all health facilities especially those in hotspots must be provided with armed security from the Kenya Police not only during demonstrations but all the time,” said Wachira.
Wachira noted that there are many cases of health workers being threatened at their work places countrywide and if the government doesn’t provide them with armed security, they will invoke section 14 of the Occupational Health and Safety act.
“Anytime that the work environment is not secure, we will be withdrawing our members from those facilities in demonstration hotspot areas until their safety is guaranteed,” he said.
On his part, George Gibore, Kenya Union of Clinical Officers Secretary General condemned the attack and emphasized that the health personnel find it difficult to work during violent demonstrations.
He remarked that healthcare workers have also suffered the brunt of violent demonstrations as they get vandalized by goons and over seven healthcare workers were affected last year.
“As health workers we have resolved that the government must take measures to provide security to health professionals in all facilities where health services are needed because we are neutral as health workers. We are there to offer services to any injured persons during the demonstrations. We don’t choose whom to serve according to international laws. But also under convention 159, 190 and 187 of the international laws, that has been violated and we shall be withdrawing all our workers from their duty areas especially in hotspot areas unless we are guaranteed that security measures have been put in place,” he said.
Nicholas Odipo, Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers chairman also condemned the attacks and added that attacking a hospital is an act of self-destruction since it is the same hospital that you will take your family members to get treatment when they are sick.
He noted that they are demanding armed security for all hospitals within the country as hospitals are also critical government installations as lives are protected there.
Odipo advised their members to move out of their workplaces if their safety is not guaranteed.
The medical unions also faulted the protesters for barricading roads during the protests saying that the move made access to critical medical services impossible.
In addition, the health practitioners also requested the government to put mental health interventions to address mental health issues among the youth and the police.
According to a statement from Alex Kilowua, the County Executive Committee Member for Health a group of individuals who had brought in an injured person to the Kitengela Sub County Hospital turned unruly, intimidating medical personnel and disrupting the provision of emergency services at the hospital during the Saba Saba protests in Kitengela town.
The goons caused unnecessary panic, interfered with operations, and endangered the safety and dignity of patients and that of the facility’s frontline health workers.
By Diana Meneto
