This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
July 10, 2020, marked a somber day for Kenya's medical community as Dr. Doreen Adisa Lugaliki, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at The Nairobi South Hospital, succumbed to COVID-19, becoming the country's first health worker to die from the pandemic.
According to Director of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, Dr. Lugaliki's death serves as a poignant reminder that COVID-19 does not discriminate, and everyone is vulnerable to its brutality.
Dr. Amoth expressed his condolences on Twitter, stating, 'Today is a sad day for our frontline healthcare workers. We've sadly lost one of us, Dr. Adisa Doreen Lugaliki, to #COVID19. This is a sad reminder that COVID-19 doesn't discriminate in its attack. We're ALL susceptible to its brutality.'
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) also mourned Dr. Lugaliki's passing, emphasizing that she contracted COVID-19 at the workplace.
As the country grapples with the spread of coronavirus, KMPDU reiterated the importance of prioritizing the welfare, occupational safety, and health of frontline workers.
Dr. Lugaliki's death serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic.
