KNUMLO: “The government assumes we do not exist”

Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO) declared in Kisumu that they will strike. According to KNUMLO, the government assumes that they do not exist.

This comes days after the doctors ended their strike last week after coming into agreement with the government. The lab workers have joined the nurses and clinical officers whose demands are yet to be met.

With the doctors as the only workers in the public hospitals, patients will find it hard to get reliable services in terms of their medical conditions.

Medical laboratory officers claim the government has neglected to recognize the importance of lab services in hospitals.

According to the officials, they are demanding quality and steady provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). Additionally, the officers demand an increase of their monthly risk allowance to Sh30, 000.

Furthermore, they are demanding group life insurance, promotion and recruitment of more staff, a Constitutional Health Service Commission, and comprehensive medical cover. Their demand is that 7, 000 more lab officers will be hired.

Their demands are similar to those made by doctors, nurses, and clinical officers. However, the doctors had already resumed work.

Similarly, the chairman of KNUMLO, Adel Ottoman, says they have told their members to stay at home. They shall wait until the government will take the medical laboratory workers seriously.

Ottoman also says that Health CS, Mutahi Kagwe, will not get the daily update on the Covid-19 status.

Around 267 medical officers contracted the virus since it was first detected in March. Unfortunately, 50 succumbed to the Covid-19.

Chrispine Momanyi, the union’s secretary general says that it is unacceptable that some of the lab workers have been on duty for over 10 years.