This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
Published on June 26, 2020, the Ministry of Health has admitted that the current testing in the country does not represent a good sample size to help determine the prevalence of the COVID-19 virus.
The number of patients in intensive care units due to coronavirus has doubled, with 18 patients in various hospitals across the country, including Kenyatta University Teaching and Research hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital, MP Shah, Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan, and a hospital in Mombasa.
Director of Public Health Francis Kuria warned that the number of critically ill patients is rising, and the Ministry is urging counties to increase the number of critical beds in facilities to accommodate the growing number of patients.
Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman acknowledged that the current testing does not provide a good sample size to determine the prevalence of the virus, and the Ministry is carrying out a civil epidemiology study across the country to determine the extent of exposure.
According to the latest data, there are 245 functional ventilators across 110 public and private hospitals in the country, but experts warn that this is not enough to sustain the lives of COVID-19 patients who present severe symptoms.
A study by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) noted that the country will need an additional 1,511 ICU beds and 1,609 ventilators to meet the demand.
