This archive report was first published on 4 July 2020.
As of July 4, 2020, Kenya's health ministry is grappling with the high cost of managing COVID-19 cases under intensive care, with each patient costing Sh71,000 per day.
According to Acting Public Health Director General Patrick Amoth, 29 patients are currently admitted in Intensive Care Units, with 15 in public hospitals and 14 in private hospitals.
Of these, 13 patients are on ventilators, while 16 are under supplemental oxygen.
Amoth noted that the cost of managing asymptomatic cases in public hospitals is Sh21,300 per day, a trend that could pose sustainability challenges in the long run.
"To manage a mild case it will cost Sh21,400, if it's a severe case and require supplemental oxygen the figure rises to Sh51,000 and if it is a critical case which may require ventilatory support, the figure goes up to Sh71,000 a day," he said.
Amoth attributed the high cost of COVID-19 treatment to the use of Personal Protective Equipment, most of which are single-use.
