Nakuru nurses call for halt to new hospital admissions
By Roy Lumbe, October 20, 2020
Nurses in Nakuru have urged the county government to suspend new admissions at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital because the facility is contaminated.
The nurses want the hospital fumigated before any activity is done on grounds it has experienced a surge in the number of positive symptomatic patients who are admitted in the general wards.
Under the Kenya Progressive Nurses Association (KPNA), the nurses accused the county health department of neglecting its mandate of keeping healthcare workers safe from the virus.
Led by their chairperson, Rose Masta, the nurses said so far 22 of their colleagues have been infected with the virus , adding that a lot has to be done to ensure the number does not increase.
“The county should ensure fumigation is done in all sections of the hospital . . . we are worried that the numbers could go up if all patients are tested,” said Masta.
The group’s treasurer, Caroline Adwera, noted that nurses don’t have enough protective gear to contain the pandemic at the hospital, saying the situation poses a risk to healthcare workers and visitors to the facility.
Speaking at the hospital grounds yesterday, Adwera noted that nurses have not been trained on donning and doffing the PPEs, saying it is a contributing factor to the surge in infections among the nurses.
Adwera further wants the whole hospital including wards fumigated, vowing they will not work if the same is not done.