This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise globally, Mandera County in Kenya has taken a firm stance on handling patients with the disease. According to County Health Executive Mohamud Adan Mohamed, all COVID-19 patients in Mandera will remain in isolation until they fully recover from the disease.
This decision comes amid pressure from relatives of the patients demanding their release. However, Mr. Mohamud has emphasized that releasing patients who still exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus disease to the community is risky.
"There is a procedure of releasing these patients back to society and in most cases, it is only done after a patient tests negative for COVID-19 twice or thrice," he said.
As of April, Mandera has recorded 18 cases of COVID-19, with seven patients still at the Mandera County Referral Hospital isolation centre. Mr. Mohamud has assured that once the results of the second testing are back, six of the seven patients will be released.
Relatives of the patients have complained that their kin are being held unfairly. Ms. Kahala Ali, whose husband has been held at the isolation centre for over a month, has expressed her concerns. "My husband was picked in early May and has been kept at the hospital, leaving us with no food. He was the family breadwinner and now the landlord is threatening to kick me and our three children out of the house," she said.
Ms. Nadhifa Mohamed, who wants her brother released so that he can fend for his family of six, has also spoken out. "I cannot provide food for a family of 15 from my vegetable stall in the town. I want my brother released so that he can continue providing for his family," she said.
Despite the challenges, the county Health department has promised to release all patients but only after they test negative for the disease. The last positive COVID-19 cases were recorded on May 7, and all other tests have been turning negative since then.
"We have a flattened curve because all the intervention measures have worked in our favour and we continue enforcing the same," said Mr. Mohamud.
He also revealed that the county has received its share of the recently released Sh5 billion but could not disclose the exact figure given to Mandera. "We have the funds with us and these will go towards building our capacity as a county government," he said.
