As coronavirus disease continues to rare its ugly head into the country, Kiambu County has been engaged in extensive four weeks training for all health care workers in an effort to address potential outbreak of the pandemic.
The Kiambu level 5 Hospital Administrator, Eston Mbuthia while talking to KNA from the facility said the trainings begun on March 17 and that the initiative was geared towards preparing the health personnel to deal with those who will test positive at whatever time.
Mbuthia revealed that 43 all-inclusive teams of seven members each undergoing intensive training on caring for Covid -19 patient was ongoing and was optimistic that the teams would handle any cases in case of an outbreak.
The workers are currently residing in their normal residences which are close proximity to the health facility.
The administrator further explained that the management was in the process of renovating a four-bed quarantine ward for those who shall get exposed while in the line of their duty. “We also have two bedroom houses that we shall also allocate for the same purpose,” Mbuthia said.
He further revealed that the level 5 referral hospital had opted to defer elective surgical and outpatient procedures purposely to reduce congestion at the workstations throughout the county. The measure was also aimed at providing room for better infection prevention and control of the patients.
“Its common knowledge that major public hospitals face an acute challenge of congestion in almost all areas of service delivery. This would inadvertently put health care workers and clients at a higher risk of infection” he noted.
While exuding confidence, Mbuthia however, regretted that it was not possible to maintain social distance when providing some healthcare services or procedures. “It’s only therefore logical to only provide those services to those who are in dire need for the same” he said.
The Health systems and especially hospitals must therefore be prepared to deal with such an eventuality. “Hospitals are however advised to continue providing healthcare services to all on a case by case basis so as to avert an explosion.
By doing so, it gives an opportunity for healthcare providers to determine what priority level to give each case, and the process informs what services are being offered at the referral hospital summed up the administrator.
To date, 246 people have tested positive to Covid after the first victim was confirmed by Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe on March 12.
Unfortunately, 11 have so far lost the battle to the disease as both National and County governments put in place measures to contain the pandemic which has affected all sectors of the economy.
By Lydia Shiloya
