In this life it has always been that whether in plenty or in scarcity the poor always suffer at the mercy of the royals whom they enthroned. This has not been an exception in the Kenyan setting, as that is what has been being perpetrated from one regime to the other by those in power. It has come to be a norm of this society that for government to give you a listening ear you have to get to the streets and shout on top of your voice. This is usually then accompanied by intimidations, which of course rarely work, mass destruction of property and then finally the government always give in to the demands.
And So Kenyans have known this is the style.
ECHOES FROM THE PAST
From the recent past, Teachers recorded the longest ever strike in the country this year. They were given all kinds of threats even at one time being told they had been sacked. Their leaders ended in remand for some hours after they were heavily fined. Sarcastically and shamefully, after the government had kept the country in turmoil of teachers for that long, they later gave in to their demands. Another gimmick occurred when The MPS boycotted parliament sittings on the pretext that Salaries and remuneration Commission(SRC) had bridged it's boundaries by setting for them salaries. After several nights of unnecessary noises hear and there, they were given what they wanted.
The MCAs have been paralyzing the activities of counties in the recent past when they wanted salary increase. These are just but few examples.
Same events date back to earlier governments. It can be clearly remembered that when teachers went on rampage by then The Late Hon Mutula Kilonzo, Fare Thee Well, was the minister of education, it came to be a cliché that government didn't have money. What surprised many was when from nowhere they teachers were given what they wanted just in minutes.
The former minister for Medical Services Hon. Prof. Anyang' Nyong'o broke the record when he threatened to sack all the doctors after they went on industrial action. But what happened at last?
COMPENSATION
After all these mentioned strikes and others, the participants especially in the education sector have always moved swiftly and compensated for the time lost. This has always been done by extending term dates, semester dates for colleges, postponing exams and for other sectors probably increasing working hours.
However, unless stated otherwise, when Nurses went on rampage and lives lost, when doctors and specialists did same and lives lost, I never HEARD, that is if it was ever announced, that now the lost lives would be compensated for. The families of the departed souls consoled each other in the bushes and silently sent their loved ones under the six feet sand. The government always went silent in such cases and to date no consolation ever, Never came out.
LEARNING FROM THE PAST.
It is always good that when something wrong happens, we learn from it and forge a correct new beginning from there. It is however sad and mentally devastating to note that our government that we are always proud of and encouraged to be proud of never learn from this painful past. This is clearly seen how they have handled the status quo in the health sector since the medical staff went on rampage.
As the country celebrated the 50 years anniversary, NO single National government leader showed sympathy nor empathy for the prevailing situation.If at all the government had any memory and knowledge of improving on past failures, they should have realized that whether they sack all the doctors or not, COME WHAT MAY, they shalt not reverse the lives of those who have succumbed to nature after they lacked medical attention.
PREVAILING CONDITION IN COUNTIES.
As this happens, it is also sarcastic to learn of what is going on in the counties.
In one of the counties, it is reported that the county government is giving each patient 1000/=. I simply ask, for how long will they do this?
Is 1000/= even enough to treat Malaria alone.It is reported that governor Mandago in Uasin Gishu County has ordered closure of all private clinics run by doctors. Out of frying pan into the fire, Hata afadhali mwenye kupeana Elfu Moja, (Better that one giving 1000/=). After closure of this private clinics will Mandago walk door by door treating patients. Because what we know is that for him he can fly anytime to Uganda or even egypt, get treatment and jet back in the coutry. He has a private doctor whom he can order to reach the house immediately and treat him moreso.
Do they know the cost of kidney dialysis?
In other places of course quack medics will be deployed as in others the deaths numbers shall of course be hidden from the media.
PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE.
It is to my knowledge that all medical staff are people who posses love for human life at heart. It is therefore evident that the government is subjecting this lot to mental torture and psychological traumatisation by forcing them to let people die when they are in this country. It is a desire of no medical staff to see a patient die before he or she exploits all possible available means. Based on this, it is not therefore debatable that these staff are suffering a great deal to tolerate the current condition.
It is high time that the government rise up and do the necessary.
Medical staff don't want salary increment, they don't want to inflate the government wage bill like some greedy, thirsty politicians we know who have already done that.
There priority is struggle for an ample environment for provision of quality health services.
It is time that all right minded individuals rise up and call the government to wake up to reality and do the necessary for the good of the future.
The future shall judge us who live in the present. From these deaths, orphans are remaining behind, widows and widowers are left and disease index is of course going up.
Who shall be our Saviour?
