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Jun 16, 20172 min read

Nurses Strike Update

Please continue to pray over the dire situation in Kenya regarding the nurses strike and ongoing healthcare system issues. 


Nurses strikes have been reoccurring (along with doctors) since December 2016. The negotiations center around a signed, collective bargaining agreement with the Kenyan government from 2013 that has not been implemented. Although the doctors strike ended in April, another potential strike is expected in the days ahead. 


As part of the negotiations, the nurse’s union was promised significant pay increases, and the hiring of several hundred additional workers to help alleviate impossible working conditions.  More than half of the 73,000 nurses in Kenya are registered nurses, and they form the largest portion of the healthcare workforce. Without them, hospitals have been forced to shut their doors. County hospitals and clinics are government run and have all been severely affected by the strike. Many facilities have shut down, while others have had to turn patients away daily. Dozens have died waiting for care, while those with slight to severe medical conditions continue to get worse.  Kenyans are being forced to seek medical care at private facilities. Most people have to travel many miles to get there, and then are faced with long lines and high costs for services they desperately need, but cannot afford. 


Expansion International is currently fundraising for the Magumu Mercy Medical Clinic, scheduled to open in 2018. This 10,000 sq ft medical clinic will offer many services such as medical, dental, and prenatal care, as well as on site laboratory, pharmacy and surgical centers. With the ongoing demand for comprehensive, affordable healthcare in Kenya, the immediate need for this project is evident.


Sources:

Photo from All Kenya Nurses Facebook page.

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