Cabinet Secretary for Health Nakhumicha Wafula strongly condemned recent assaults on healthcare workers on Thursday, following a viral video showing a medic being verbally and physically abused at a hospital in Busia.
“Acts of violence against our healthcare workers are not only reprehensible but intolerable,” Wafula said in a statement. “Healthcare workers deserve our utmost respect as they are the backbone of our healthcare system.”
The cabinet secretary praised the victim’s composure during the attack, urging civility when engaging with medical professionals.
“I want to commend the medic involved for displaying such remarkable composure and professionalism during the incident,” Wafula said. “We cannot understate the importance of maintaining civility while interacting with healthcare workers.”
A recent study found about half of Kenyan healthcare workers reported experiencing workplace violence, with verbal and emotional abuse being most common. Patients and relatives were the most frequent aggressors, the research showed.
Wafula warned that continued violence against medical staff would not be tolerated.
“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.
The cabinet secretary called for mutually respectful interactions between the public and healthcare professionals to build a robust health system.
“Going forward and considering this incident, I call for mutually respectful engagements between members of the public and healthcare givers as we continue to build and maintain a robust health system,” Wafula said.
“This recent case of assault on a healthcare worker is not just an attack on an individual; it is an assault on the entire healthcare system and the principles that guide it,” she added..
She commended the victim’s professional response, which helped defuse the situation. Healthcare workers operate under demanding conditions and deserve the public’s support, the cabinet secretary emphasized.
