Discontent simmers in Garissa as health workers cry foul over broken promises

Garissa County's healthcare system is grappling with simmering discontent. Health workers, speaking on condition of anonymity, paint a bleak picture of unfulfilled promises, stagnant promotions, and empty pharmaceutical shelves – a far cry from the hopeful return-to-work agreement of 2020.

Back then, under the administration of Governor Ali Korane, weary medics laid down their tools, demanding better working conditions. A fragile truce was reached, with promises of staggered leave allowances, clearance of years-old arrears, and expedited promotions topping the agenda.

"Leave allowance would be paid in tranches, starting January 2021," read an excerpt from the agreement obtained by Eastleigh Voice. "Plus, the county committed to settling three years' worth of arrears within the same timeframe."

Hopes for career advancement flickered as the agreement pledged a swift promotion process overseen by an advisory committee, kicking off in January 2021. Yet, two years later, these promises lie crumpled like unused prescriptions in empty dispensaries.

"None of it has materialized," lamented a senior medic, a member of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union. "Frustration is boiling over, compounded by the crippling shortage of drugs – not just at Garissa Referral Hospital, but across every sub-county."

Their daily plight involves prescribing medications they know are absent, a gnawing guilt at the core of their professional oath. "It crushes us," another medic confided, requesting anonymity. "We send patients scrambling to buy overpriced drugs from mushrooming pharmacies, questioning our very purpose."

Adding fuel to the fire, residents of Balambala sub-county allege a complete absence of drug supplies, forcing them to rely solely on private pharmacies. Attempts to reach the County Executive Committee member for health proved futile, his phone lines echoing with unanswered calls and ignored text messages.

The silence from the county administration speaks volumes, amplifying the chorus of discontent rising from Garissa's healthcare workers. Their dedication to serving under such dire circumstances deserves more than empty promises and echoing silences. It demands action, transparency, and a renewed commitment to fulfilling the very agreements that were meant to mend bridges, not build walls of frustration.