CoG wants government to equip hospitals for testing

Governors now want the National government to urgently equip all Level Four and Five hospitals to collect and test samples for the dreaded coronavirus.

The Council of Governors (CoG)  also wants more testing centres to be established and train additional laboratory personnel.

Currently, only two laboratories, Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and National Influenza laboratory, which are able to test for the Covid-19.

Addressing a press conference yesterday on counties preparedness in combating coronavirus, council chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said though county laboratory personnel have been trained they have not been equipped to collect specimen.

Disease spread

“This in itself is a great risk for the country should the disease spread rapidly in many counties at the same time,” Governor Oparanya said.

 “Longer turnaround time for sample collection, and testing is not good for the response,” he added.

The training of frontline case management healthcare workers to combat Covid-19 pandemic started on Tuesday and will ends on tomorrow. Each county is represented by only one healthcare worker, this Oparanya argues leaves a big gap

“More heath workers should be trained urgently,” he held.

As such, the CoG has called on Health CS Mutahi Kagwe to ensure that all 47 county governments acquire enough PPE kits to help contain the virus.

Oparanya, flanked by Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua said counties have only received 2805 PPE Kits instead of the promised 305,000 set of PPE kits.

“This poses a serious challenge and vulnerability of health workers in the response,” he noted.

With neighbouring countries confirming cases of Covid-19, the Kakamega Governor, wants border counties to be classified among higher risk counties for heightened surveillance because of their proximity with affected countries.

Oparanya has also called on the counties to try and allocate emergency fund for dealing with Corona virus.

CoG also called on the president to convene  an all-stakeholder meeting including governors to strategise on how to mitigate the economic effects of the virus.

“We should all be able to work together for the sake of our people and  country,” he purred.

The county bosses has further asked the public to remain vigilant as the risk is still high and to continue taking precautionary measures such as maintaining basic hand and respiratory hygiene, safe food handling practices and avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.

“Members of the public are also encouraged to avoid funerals and weddings,”

Meanwhile, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula has asked the government not to conceal identities of compatriots who have been found to be Covid-19 positive.

Victims identities

Making the identities public, Senator Wetangula noted  will help those who have associated with them for the past one to two weeks to quickly take measures and go for diagnosis to find out whether they have also contacted the virus or not.

“As you all know , many countries across the globe like Iran, United Kingdom, Brazil among others are not concealing the identities of their victims regardless of the positions they hold in the society since there is no stigma attached to Covid-19 infections,” said the Senator.