The recoveries of COVID 19 cases in the last few weeks has been due to Home Based Care Programme, Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr. Rashid Aman has said .
In the last one week, the CAS said 2,788 patients that were placed under home based care have recovered from the disease and others under the same programme hopefully will .
Speaking today when giving an uyp0date on the Corona Virus situation in the country, Dr. Rashid said as the country continues to ramp up , success of home based care has given a whole new impetus in the fight against COVID 19.
“There is need to embrace the programme because its far cheaper and a better option towards recovery for asymptomatic as opposed to being admitted and held in hospital”, he added.
The CAS insisted that 90 percent of COVID 19 cases in the country are asymptomatic who can be managed at home so that the 10 percent remaining can be accommodated in the health care facilities.
He explained that since the lunch of the home based care programme , it has been cost effective and cheaper and that with 89 percent of cost spent on patients at health facilities, it can now go towards PPEs used by health care workers
Dr. Rashid has however noted that the steady increase in positive COVID cases is something that should worry Kenyans especially those living in Nairobi Metropolitan.
Apart from Nairobi, he added that focus has also shifted to9 counties surrounding the metro9p0olitcan with Kiambu, Machakos and Kajiado counties also recording high rise of infections.
‘In Just one week , Kiambu recorded 274 cases compared to Mombasa 85 considering Mombasa was recording high numbers but has stabilized and numbers have drastically fallen. If Mombasa can do it , the rest can also do it , it is possible”, he said
He called on residents in these areas to strictly adhere to containment measures and also exercise individual and civic responsibility as first step to deal with the virus
In the last 24 hours , the CAS noted that the country has recorded 637 new cares of COVID following testing of 4,275 samples bringing now the total of positive cases to 14,805 and cumulatively conducted tests being 254,273.
“Of today’s cases all are Kenyans with the exception of 14 foreigners. 361 are male and 276 are female with the ages being one year old infant and the oldest is 88 years old”, he said
Nairobi, the CAS noted is leading again with 342 cases followed by Mombasa 85, Kajiado 57 and Kiambu 51.
Others are Nakuru 22, Mombasa 17, , Nyeri 13, Busia 10, Muranga 9, Uasin Gishu 6, Bomet 5, Kericho and Kisii 3 each, Marsabit 2 while Narok, Vihiga, Meru, Embu, Garissa, Homabay , Kakamega, Kilifi , kirinyaga , Kisumu, Kitui and Laikipia have one each.
The five highest recorded numbers in Nairobi Sub counties which had 342 cases are distributed in Kamukunji 44 cases, Westlands 32, Langata 31, Embakasi South 26, Dagoretti North and Embakasi East have 24 each.
Dr. Rashid today said that are were 499 recoveries, 406 from home based care while 93 were discharged from hospitals bringing now the total number of recoveries to 6757.
The country has unfortunately lost 10 patients today bringing the total number of fatalities to 260.
The CAS came out today to clarify on tends in the country that Cabinet is on a lock down saying that Cabinet Secretaries just like every other public servants are going about their duties as they strictly observe the containment measures.
Dr. Rashid has further said that the government has launched the Kenya Essential Medicines KList 2019 and the National Anti microbial Stewardship Guidelines for health care settings that will go a long way in supporting the successful delivery of stewardship interventions across the entire health are system.
Dr. Patrick Amoth, Ag. Director General, Ministry of Health said that on co-morbidities leading to the fatalities on COVID 19 , local generated Data shows that the combination of Diabetes and Hypertension stands at 32 percent of cases, hypertension alone is 17 percent while diabetes on its own is at 15 percent , chronic lung disease and Cancer is at 10 percent and HIV at 5 percent.
He noted that the government has worked on guidelines to ensure continuity of services of those ailing from the non-communicable disease to ensure the people receive optimum services and their condition properly controlled reducing the risk of contracting COVID 19
“Data in the past two months shows that the number of patients going for care in hospitals has significantly increased showing confidence that people are able to visit health care services and receive appropriate services without Fear that they will be infected with COVID 10
On the Covid 19 infections in remand prisons, the DG noted that being high risk areas and considering that community transmission is alive, the government has done capacity building in all prisons in the country , provided PPEs and additional wash facilities to address the challenges
Dr. Amoth also noted that petty offenders from the correctional facilities across the country are being released to de congest the prisons .
By Wangari Ndirangu
