Health workers in Kirinyaga
County have over the last one week been trained on Infection Prevention and
Control (IPC) as a way of combating the corona virus.
nontechnical staff from selected health facilities was conducted by IPC experts
from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
training that came after a request by the County Government to KNH was aimed at
building the capacity of the health workers to protect themselves as well as
patients from getting infections while at the health facilities.
She said that hospitals, being the place
where many sick people congregate is also where infections congregate and
therefore there is great need to put measures of preventing infections from
passing from one person to another.
should be upheld at all times, health workers should be extra-vigilant in the
wake of Covid-19 pandemic to protect themselves as well as patients seeking
services from them. She noted that although the IPC training was triggered by
the threat of Covid-19, the County Government recognizes the great need to
build the capacity of health workers to enhance service delivery at all the
public health institutions.
technical health workers and 80 non-technical staff drawn from Kerugoya
Referral Hospital and Kianyaga, Sagana, Kimbimbi, Thiba, and Baricho Health
Centers.
included Medical Officers, Clinical Officers, Laboratory Technologists, while
the non-technical participants were drawn from support staff and casual
workers.
Executive Officer, Dr. Evanson Kamuri, whose team also carried out an audit on
Kerugoya County and Referral Hospital’s preparedness on Covid-19, said that
Infection Prevention and Control was one of the most effective ways of
combating corona virus and therefore it was important to have a well prepared
and trained workforce.
Muriithi Nyaga, said that the health workers were trained on some of the
infection control principles and practices for local health agencies including
standard precautions, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, cleaning and
disinfection, respiratory hygiene and waste disposal among others.
from patients to patients, health workers to patients or vice versa and also
among health workers themselves.
“IPC practices help in prevention and
reduction of disease transmission and eliminate sources of potential
infections. It also protects patients against acquiring nosocomial infections
that occur as a result of a patients coming into contact with a pathogen that
was not present at the time the person infected was admitted at a hospital”
said Dr. Nyaga.
KNH is a start of more engagement with the national hospital to ensure improved
standards of care and patient management outcomes for the people of Kirinyaga
and not only in Covid-19 management.
continued to enforce Covid-19 prevention guidelines and urged all county
residents to play their role in protecting themselves against the virus.
