State steps up its preparedness for coronavirus threat

The government was yesterday scrambling to put together emergency measures to confront any cases of coronavirus that may be detected in the country.

A week after it was accused of a lacklustre approach to the highly contagious disease that has so far claimed more than 3,200 lives worldwide, the government stepped up its preparedness by setting up county emergency response committees countrywide. 

It also rolled out a training programme for medical staff in selected hospitals as it established an SMS alert system where it will send information on the virus and heightened its surveillance levels.

The National Emergency Response Committee (NERC) chaired by newly-appointed Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe yesterday met with the Council of Governors and resolved to establish isolation facilities in all counties and upgrade County Level Five hospitals to deal with a possible outbreak of the disease.

The governors will chair the county committees with the county commissioner as the co-chair.

The team will include the County Executive Members for Health, Finance, Public Works and Education. The chief officer for health and the county police boss will also be part of the committee.

“Counties should draw up the budget and logistics and set aside contingency funds to handle any possible outbreak,” Kagwe said. 

 He announced that Mbagathi Hospital, the National Isolation Centre, will be fully equipped to handle any corona-related case by today.

In the meeting attended by Isiolo Governor Mohammed Kuti, who is in charge of the health docket in the CoG, Kagwe asked counties to set up contingency funds to deal with any possible outbreak.

In Nairobi, the Health ministry yesterday started a three-day training for 40 health workers on coronavirus critical care management and infection control. 

In Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport James Macharia and Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho assured MPs that the country was  prepared for any eventuality. 

Last week, Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo was at pains to explain to MPs measures the government was taking to ensure the virus does not enter the country after a China Southern plane carrying 239 passengers landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and was detained for a few hours. 

Monitor hotspots

However, the passengers were allowed to disembark and ordered to go into self-isolation for 14 days. On Friday, a court ordered the government to round up all the passengers and quarantine them at a Kenya Defence Force facility for 14 days.

Yesterday, Macharia told a joint National Assembly and Senate Health Committee meeting that the passengers had been traced, but were not taken to a KDF facility because they did not show any symptoms of the virus.

 “We shall continue reviewing and monitoring the hotspots. We are also monitoring ships coming into the country.

There is no cargo coming from China and we do not have direct flights to Iran. We continue to review Italy’s case,” he said.

According to latest reports, 3,200 deaths have been reported with majority occurring in Hubei province in China, which is the epicentre of the virus. Some 94,000 cases have been confirmed across the global with slightly over 51,000 in various stages of recovery. 

The World Bank yesterday stepped in to help vulnerable countries to enhance their ability to deal with possible outbreak of the virus.

The Bank announced a $12 billion kitty (Sh1.2 trillion) kitty to help developing countries thought to be at risk as the virus spread to close to 80 nations. Kenya is almost certain to be a beneficiary.

In a statement, the Bank said the Sh1.2 trillion intervention was an initial package meant to offer immediate support to countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak and more cash will follow.

Locally county governments were yesterday scaling up their preparedness levels for the virus.

Suspend flights

Nakuru has been on high alert with Health CEC Dr Kariuki Gichuki assuring locals that they had trained health practitioners at Nakuru Level 5 Hospital and other health facilities in Naivasha and Gilgil sub-counties. 

He said that over 200 workers have been trained to handle any threat by the virus. Nakuru is a transit town which connects Nairobi and other East African counties such as Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. 

Gichuki said Personal Protection Equipment had been procured for medical personnel.

He urged residents to practise self prevention measures such as hand washing and avoiding crowded places.

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui called for accurate information about the virus. “Alarmist and sensational messaging have spread fear thus creating a feeling of hopelessness,” the Governor said, adding that dissemination of facts and information will be necessary in the prevention and management of the virus. 

Kilifi County, which hosts a big Italian community that owns property in Malindi town, has embarked on a sensitisation and safety campaign aimed at cushioning residents against the disease.

This comes at a time when the Kenya government suspended flights from north Italy, specifically Verona and Milan, to the Kenyan Coast, following the global coronavirus outbreak.

Kilifi Health Executive Dr. Anisa Omar said even though there is no reported case in the county, preventive measures were necessary.

She said a County Disaster Rapid Response team had been formed and is on standby to deal with any threats.

 ‘’We shall get in touch with the Italian community through their consulate, anybody who travelled in the last one week or so with symptoms of coronavirus shall be quarantined,’’ said Omar.

In Eldoret, the  Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital has formed a 24-member multi-disciplinary task force in readiness for the virus. 

Hospital chief executive Wilson Aruasa said the team to be headed by Dr Simiyu Tabu, who heads emergency services at the hospital, will complement the work of the national task force.

The hospital has set aside a 10-bed capacity isolation ward as part of its preparedness. 

Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta created a 21-member National Emergency Committee and ordered the setting up of the Mbagathi isolation centre by today as well as the creation of treatment and isolation facilities in all level 5 hospitals across the country.