This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
As the coronavirus disease continues to spread across the country, the Ministry of Health's warning that it will inevitably reach all 47 counties in a few weeks poses a significant challenge to Kenya's efforts to contain the pandemic.
With the virus now present in 38 counties, it is clear that the measures employed so far to curb infections have not been effective. The rate at which the virus has spread since its first reported case on March 12 is a stark reminder of the need for more robust measures to prevent further infections.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed that at least 300 hospital beds should be set aside for Covid-19 patients by each county, a tall order for most counties with constrained budgets. However, this directive is viable if the country moves with haste to implement the recently proposed Sh53.7 billion stimulus package.
The package has budgeted for 20,000 beds for public hospitals at Sh500 million, which works out to at least 400 beds per county. However, hospital beds alone are not enough; both levels of government must ensure that hospitals are adequately staffed and equipped to provide quality care to patients.
Counties should also deploy their officers to the grassroots to enlighten residents on the need to observe the basic guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health. This is critical, especially in urban slums where majority of the Covid-19 cases have been reported, due to failure to observe simple measures such as social distancing, wearing face masks, and washing hands frequently.
Lastly, both levels of government can borrow a leaf from New Zealand, which greatly employed communication to win the war against the virus. The messaging should inspire Kenyans to trust that the governments have their welfare at heart and therefore comply with the directives.
