KMPDU Demands Enhanced Security After Nurse Is Threatened In Busia

• Health trade unions have demanded enhanced security for all healthcare providers following a recent assault at Port Victoria Hospital
• Following the attack, the unions led by KMPDU stated that the government ought to implement the Occupational Safety and Health Act immediately
• They further disclosed that they intend to petition the Senate for legislative amendments to strengthen security measures in health facilities

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

The health trade unions have strongly condemned the recent violence against a healthcare provider at Port Victoria Hospital in Busia county.

In the incident, a woman, Vanessa Ogema, in the company of an armed man, was captured in a video hurling abuses at a nurse, demanding that she immediately attends to their patient.

What are doctors' demands after nurse is attacked in Busia?

Led by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), the unions demanded immediate action against the assailant, including her arrest.

Following the attack, the medics' unions emphasised the urgent need for enhanced security measures and the provision of armed security personnel for healthcare workers nationwide.

"The rising trend of attacks on health workers, including incidents involving state officers, underscores the gravity of the situation. The absence of security measures such as scanners in hospitals, especially during night duty, poses a significant risk to healthcare providers," the unions said.

Referring to provisions in the Health Act, the unions also demanded the swift implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act within health facilities.

Health Act Section 12(1)(b) provides the right to a safe working environment that minimises the risk of disease transmission and injury or damage to the health care personnel or to their clients, families or property; and (b) the right to refuse to treat a user who is physically or verbally abusive or who sexually harasses him or her except in an emergency situation where no alternative health care personnel is available.

Additionally, the unions announced the plan to petition the Senate for legislative amendments to strengthen security measures in health facilities.

What CS Susan Nakhumicha said about harassed Busia nurse

As earlier reported, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha called for legal action against Ogema.

“Violence against healthcare workers will not be tolerated and any person culpable of such an act will be apprehended and face the full wrath of the law,” she said.

Additionally, she observed that healthcare workers' commitment to delivering standard healthcare services to patients from all walks of life, if met with violence, is disheartening and erodes the fabric of our healthcare infrastructure.

She further commended the assaulted nurse for her composure, stating that all workers should try to display civility at all costs when handling cases with that similarity.

Who is Vanessa Ogema?

The Nairobi Women's Hospital College identified the culprit as one of their students enrolled in a theatre programme and is awaiting graduation.

According to a statement released on Tuesday, January 4, the institution said that the actions portrayed by Ogema do not align with their values and standards.

"It has come to our attention that Vanessa Ogema, a student enrolled in the Theatre Technology programme and awaiting graduation, was reported to have disrupted and harassed medical staff at a hospital in Busia county," read their statement in part.