Actress dies giving birth as health strikes hit hard
An actress died while giving birth in Kilifi County on Tuesday as health services in public hospitals around the country remained grounded due to the clinical officers and nurses strike.
The nurses’ strike has so far lasted 116 days.
Ms Maureen Wanza had been rushed to a private clinic after developing complications.
“It was an emergency. While at the facility, her situation worsened as she gave birth. She bled to death. Unfortunately, her baby also died minutes later,” said Ashiners Films CEO Ann Hamburg.
She acted in local TV productions Sumu and Almasi, among others.
PARALYSED SERVICES
Her death comes at a time when hundreds of patients in the county are seeking treatment in private hospitals due to the industrial action by the nurses and clinical officers that has paralysed health services in all public hospitals.
On Tueday, nurses threatened to take legal action against governors who will replace any of them on strike.
Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary-general Seth Panyako said the advertisements placed in the dailies by some county governments were misguided.
“They (governors) cannot afford to have the nurses replaced. Already, there is a huge shortage of nurses. They should create more job opportunities for the nurses,” he said.
On Tuesday, nurses were to meet with a conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour but the secretary-general said the meeting did not take place as the government failed to turn up.