The United Nations Population Fund through the Kenya Red Cross has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) worth Sh5 million to Busia County.
Speaking to the press at Busia Referral Hospital, while handing over the commodities to the County officials on Tuesday, the Western Kenya Region Red Cross Coordinator Hellen Cheruto said that the PPEs are meant to support the healthcare workers, while providing services in the isolation and quarantine centres.
“The consignment consisted of the patients and surgical gowns, 100 pieces of gum boots, 100 pieces of safety googles, 100 pieces of disposable face masks, 100 full body gowns, 200 pieces of disposable bio hazard bags, 20 pieces of 10 litres each lyson, 14600 polythene gloves and 8 boxes of 500 mills of hand sanitizer,” she said.
Busia County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri thanked the Red Cross team for not only supporting the County during the C-19 pandemic, but also during floods experienced in Bunyala Sub constituency.
Kanyiri urged the local residents not to discard the Covid- 19 containment measures prescribed by the government. “We should wear our masks at all times because it is for our own good and safety,” he said, adding that proper hand washing has to continue.
He noted that there was some sort of disregard to the Covid-19 containment measures at the markets, social places super markets, petrol stations.
“We would like to tell our people that Covid-19 is real and there is need for all of us to uphold these measures,” he said.
He added that the County security team will soon conduct a crackdown on those who are disregarding the guidelines and ensure that they are taken to court.
“That’s not what we would like to do, but we want to ensure that everybody considers the guidelines as a personal responsibility, which should not be left to police officers alone,” he said.
At the same time, he pointed out that the County had reported over 1000 Covid-19 positive cases and 10 deaths.
On his part, Busia Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi cautioned that the second wave of coronavirus scourge is more serious, adding that many asymptomatic cases die faster than before.
Mulomi also reiterated the need to adhere to the covid-19 protocols, adding that many locals had disregarded the guidelines.
He disclosed that 16 healthcare workers in the County had been affected by the virus, but have since been treated and recovered.
By Salome Alwanda
