This archive report was first published on 11 July 2020.
Kenyan Doctor's COVID-19 Death Sparks Outrage Among Medical Fraternity ¶
On July 6, Dr. Doreen Adisa Lugaliki, a 38-year-old obstetrician and gynaecologist, was admitted to the Aga Khan Hospital in Kenya with persistent coughs, barely days before succumbing to COVID-19.
Her brother, Lenny Lugaliki, took to Facebook on July 10 to eulogise his sister, reminiscing their last moments together and expressing his grief at her untimely death.
"It is the saddest morning. I have lost a precious Angel to me. I took you to hospital as we made jokes I did not know I will never see you again," Lenny wrote in a heart-wrenching message.
Dr. Lugaliki's death has cemented the fear in the medical fraternity about their safety as they attend to patients at health facilities. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has reiterated the need for the government to protect frontline workers, who have been exposed to the virus while at work.
According to the Ministry of Health, 361 healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID-19, and the disease has claimed the lives of 181 people so far. Dr. Lugaliki's death has sparked outrage among her colleagues and friends, who have taken to social media to express their condolences and memories of the late medic.
Dr. Lugaliki will be buried at her home in Bungoma county on July 13, leaving behind three children.
