Nurses Faults CS Nakhumicha Over KMPDU Sec Gen Assault
Nurses Faults CS Nakhumicha Over KMPDU Sec Gen Assault
Nurses Faults CS Nakhumicha Over KMPDU Sec Gen Assault
Through its Secretary General, Seth Panyako, the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has criticized Susan Nakhumicha, the Health Cabinet Secretary, for her attack on Davji Atellah, the Secretary General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), on February 29.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Panyako said that there was more the Cabinet Secretary could have done to prevent the turmoil that would have resulted in Davji being struck by a tear gas canister.
“We met with Health CS, and she promised to go with us to the Treasury to demand the funds. So why is she the one asking the police to carry out the assault?” Panyako asked. He also insisted that the CS provide an explanation of her stance on the attack on the KMPDU leader, claiming that she must explain her involvement in the police action to scatter the demonstrators.
Turning now, he pointed out that since the government had not yet released the funds, the Health Ministry was not to blame for the medical interns’ delayed posting.He elaborated, saying that he had visited the ministry and that he had verified that they had not yet received cash intended to enable the interns to be posted.
Additionally, KNUN placed the government on the spot over corruption citing that it was the reason for the lack of funds to post the interns.
“The problem with Kenya is not the lack of money but corruption. There is enough money to post health workers interns,” explained KNUN.
However, Panyako affirmed that if no action was taken against the police involved in the incident, nurses would down their tools in solidarity with the doctors.
Nakhumicha responded to the event on Saturday by saying that the attack was unintentional and that she had told Atellah the same thing.
She went on to say that her ministry was unable to address the issue and that it was not her fault that the interns were not posted.
