The decision by nurses to call off their prolonged strike is commendable. It offers much-needed relief to thousands of Kenyans who have endured weeks of disruption in public health facilities and been forced to seek costly alternatives.
But calling off the strike should not mark the end of the conversation. The issues that triggered the dispute must be addressed once and for all. A return-to-work formula is meaningful only if both sides honour their commitments. The government must, therefore, implement agreed terms within clear timelines, while nurses must reciprocate by ensuring uninterrupted services.
Repeated strikes expose weaknesses in the management of public healthcare. They also raise questions about whether devolving health services to counties has delivered the efficiency and accountability Kenyans were promised. A national health authority, with clear responsibility for standards, staffing and industrial relations, deserves serious consideration.
Healthcare workers have legitimate grievances, but industrial action in hospitals has particularly devastating consequences because patients cannot postpone illness. The poorest Kenyans suffer most when public hospitals close their doors.
The latest agreement should therefore be more than a temporary truce. The government and health unions must address outstanding issues through structured dialogue and binding agreements.
Kenyans deserve a health system in which strikes are the exception, not a recurring threat to life.
Quote of the Day: “It is justice, not charity, that is wanting in the world.” —British author and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft died on September 10, 1797
