A nurse deep in thought during the NNAK scientific conference

KAKAMEGA -AHIC 14th October 2008 -As nurses met between 7th and 9th this month, at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega,  for the 50^th National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK)  conference & AGM ,nurses expectations was very high that the forum would yield the much anticipated feedback on the problems afflicting nurses in the country.

Speaker after speaker rose and spoke of how nurses’ issues had been neglected for a very long time and time was ripe to address them .But the major disappointment dawned on many nurses present when the guest of honour, Hon. Anyang Nyong’o, Minister of Medical services didn’t turn up. He was represented by the Director of Medical Services ,Dr.Francis Kimani.

Before Dr. Kimani read the minister speech Mr. Luke K’odambo ,the Chairman NNAK,asked the government to provide nurses with a good working environment that is safe .He pointed out  the numerous risks that nurses face in their place of  work by quoting a study conducted at the Kenyatta National hospital that showed many nurses had contracted TB in the line of duty .He urged the government to commence protecting nurses by ensuring that patients with highly infectious diseases are isolated. He further cautioned the government from playing politics with issues affecting nurses. Mr.K’odambo was reacting to a media report that had appeared the previous day quoting assistant minister of Medical services ,Hon. Danson Mungatana, saying that nurses had been awarded Ksh.10,000 as  uniform allowance. He asked the Dr. Kimani who was present to confirm whether it was true or not.

Dr. Kimani in his speech read on behalf of Prof. Anyang Nyong’o .minister of Medical services thanked the nurses for their dedicated service especially during the post election violence witnessed as a result of the disputed general election. Most nurses continued serving in hospitals even when other health personnel fled for their safety.This was despite the security risk that most nurses faced at that time .Some nurses worked continuously for over a period of 72 hours .Unlike the security officers who received an allowance for their work during the skirmishes not a single penny was awarded to any nurse in form of an allowance. Dr. Kimani confirmed that the government had not adequately addressed the plight of nurses and asked for patience as it looked for ways of sorting out their issues.

But most of the nurses reacted angrily to the news of another promise that the government has been making for years .Currently most of the nurses are frustrated at the pathetic conditions in the government health institutions. Most of them had high hopes that with the promise that the minister of medical services had given when given the health post, the government will improve their working conditions.

Most of the nurses interviewed at the meeting expressed disappointment at the way the government has been handling issues affecting them .One of the nurses who talked on condition of anonymity, said that she will be moving  to the US next year as the government has nothing good to offer nurses.

My Jophinus Musundi the Secretary of Kenya professional Nurses Association (KPNA)  who was present at the meeting felt that nurses had been short changed .He said that after calling off the nurses strike that had been issued early this year ,a task force was formed to look into the nurses grievances .According to Mr. Musundi, the task force came up with a resolution that nurses will be paid Ksh.50,000 uniform allowance,Ksh.20,000 risk allowance ,Ksh.10,000 uniform allowance  Ksh15,000 extraneous allowance and Ksh.30,000 non-practicing allowance. He thanked the government for issuing Ksh.10,000 as uniform allowance but said that nurses are still waiting for the balance of Ksh.40,000 for the uniform allowance to make it a total of Ksh.50,000. He was also angered by the way the government chose to announce the award of uniform allowance in the media yet the matter was before a task force and none of the nurses’ leaders was either informed or consulted. He said that nurse will be meeting in another forum in November this year at Garissa to deliberate on their issues and if by then the government will not have addressed the nurses’ grievances adequately then the nurse will decide on the way forward.

This development comes at a timewhen Kenya and other developing countries are loosing highly skilled health workers to the US and UK who offer very attractive salaries for nurses and doctors. Hospitals like Kenyatta National hospitals have turned to hunting grounds for foreign agents who recruit nurses to developed countries.

Factors influencing medical professionals to emigrate include poor remuneration, bad working conditions, an oppressive political climate, persecution of intellectuals, and discrimination. Researchers cite lack of funding, poor facilities, limited career structures, and poor intellectual stimulation as important reasons for dissatisfaction. Other key reasons for emigrating are personal ones. These include security, the threat of violence, and the wish to provide a good education for their children

The government should look for ways of absorbing health workers that graduate every year and pay them attractive salaries to safeguard the future of its citizens. An average nurse is currently overworked demoralized and for the government to achieve the vision 2030 and the millennium development goals it better have a clear vision for its nurses.