The Kisii university School of medicine has urged patients with chronic illnesses to stock up medicines during this Covid 19 pandemic period to avoid health challenges in case of any shortage.
Speaking at Nyaututu location, North Mugirango Constituency in Nyamira County during a coronavirus health protocols sensitisation programme Friday, the chief medical officer at the university School of health sciences Dr Jackline Nyaanga advised those living with cancer, diabetes, hypertension and other chronic illnesses to stock drugs that can last them several months.
“We encourage these people to also take their medication religiously to maintain a good health state of the body to be able to fight any infections including covid-19,” said Nyaanga.
This follows reports from Health cabinet secretary, Mutahi Kagwe that over 70% of mortality rate from Covid-19 was of those patients with underlying chronic diseases.
Dr. Nyaanga commended the national government’s initiative to shift care of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients to home based care saying that it will not only help decongest health facilities, but the victims would also get proper care from home including social support which is healthy for patients.
James Ocharo, a resident said that the Home based care programme was best for asymptomatic patients as many feared they would get further infections from the congested centres, thus complicating the matter.
Dr Nyaanga distributed 2000 masks and sanitizers from the institution which has so far donated over 150,000 masks out of the targeted 300,000 items to Nyamira, Homa bay and Migori Counties.
Residents were also sensitized on the best practices of hand washing among other required measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has so far infected 4478 Kenyans and caused 121 deaths by Saturday June 20, 2020.
By Clinton Nyamumbo
