Residents of South Mugirango in Kisii county turned up in their hundreds on Sunday to protest the withdrawal of health staff from Nduru Level 5 Hospital.
The withdrawal followed an attack, three weeks ago, on a driver and two medical staff sent by the county to relocate an anesthesia equipment to Keumbu Level 4 Hospital.
Following the incident, various medical union officials gave a statement saying they were withdrawing their staff from the subcounty hospital citing insecurity concerns at the health facility.
On Sunday, however, the residents denied insecurity claim in the region.
They gave the county government a 48-hour ultimatum to redeploy staff to the hospital to help normalise operations.
Lilian Mogendi, one of the protesters and a former Kisii Assembly nominee, said female patients were hurting the most with the continued closer of the facility.
“Expectant women are forced especially to travel far to get a service they should be enjoying here,” she said.
Richard Otula, another resident, said they have unanimously decided not to pay tax until the facility reopens.
“We will only start paying cess if our facilities are operational, there is no need to if we are not receiving services,” he told journalists.
At least three revenue officers were beaten up at Riosiri market early Sunday when they turned up to collect cess.
During the protests, the residents walked from Riosiri to Nduru Hospital where they demanded the reopening of the facility by Monday.
Area MP Sylvanus Osoro supported calls for nonpayment of cess until operations at the health facility are normalised.
“Otherwise there is no need to pay money to the County when you’re not receiving services,” he said outside the CDF offices.
Two makeshift hospitals-Robbiment and Tabaka Mission Hospital – were at hand to offer services to the residents.
Osoro said the two hospitals were volunteering services following the closure of their public facility.
Separately, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union officials said they have resolved to redeploy doctors to Nduru by Tuesday.
Union Nyanza branch Secretary General Aggrey Orwenyo said it was on abundant of caution and humanitarian grounds they had decided to abandon the strike.
Orwenyo, however, said they want the issue of security of all staff deployed there to be guaranteed security.
Clinicians, however, objected to calls on their staff to return to work.
They said the issues they had raised with the authorities have not been addressed.
Similar concerns were raised by the nurses and other cadres who said there had been insufficient consultations on the matter.
