Kirinyaga county finally gets ready on Covid 19 preparedness

 The National Government Covid-19 technical assistance team has today lauded Kirinyaga County’s efforts towards preparedness for Covid-19.

 During a tour to various isolation centres, the team led by Dr. Evanson Kamuri, CEO Kenyatta National Hospital observed that the county has already set up around 200 beds in the various facilities identified as isolation centers.  The number is below the 300 beds capacity per county that was set by Ministry of Health two months ago.

The county government has set up isolation centers in Kerugoya Level Four Hospital, Kimbimbi,Baricho, Kianyaga health centres and Sagana Sub-County district Hospital.

 The County Executive Committee Member for Health, Gladys Kimingi said another isolation ward is set to be opened in the upcoming Medical Complex at Kerugoya Hospital and expected to be operational in two months.

 Dr. Kamuri noted that there was great need for counties to establish compressive isolation centers that will cater for all the other ailments that Covid-19 patients could require.

 “We have Covid-19 patients in need of surgical services, dialysis services, maternity services yet we cannot take them to the facilities serving other patients who do not have Covid. In this regard, all other services required in regular health facility must be availed in isolation centers.” He advised.

 He said that the technical team was on a mission to establish what the counties had done on Covid-19 preparedness and also the challenges they were facing in order to see where they can forge partnerships to enhance the capacity of counties to handle the pandemic.

 Dr. Johna Mwangi, Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) CEO assured counties that there were enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) in the country for use by healthcare workers. He said some donations for PPEs which are also being distributed to counties.

“Kirinyaga County also benefitted from donations worth Sh200,000 which included thermo guns, N95 masks and face shields and protective gowns,” he said.

 Dr. Pacifica Onyancha, the team’s technical adviser and also the Head of Preventive and Promotive Health at the Ministry of Health advised counties to improve existing health facilities to cater for Covid as opposed to using temporary shelters such as stadiums and schools since the facilities will still be used after the pandemic is over.  

She also advised that all isolation centers be guarded by security personnel around the clock to ensure safety of patients and the health workers.

 Also in the delegation was Dr. Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO, Amref Health Africa who urged the county governments to mobilize resources through multi agency response teams in order to enhance the capacity to manage the pandemic. 

 Kirinyaga County registered its first positive case of corona virus after inter county borders were opened with cases rising to 27 within a month. The county government has been urging the residents to strictly adhere to the laid down prevention measures to curb spread. None of the patients has died while 3 have been successfully treated and discharged.

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