This archive report was first published on 11 July 2020.
Kenya has lost two more medical workers to COVID-19, a development that has sparked calls for the government to take urgent action to protect frontline healthcare workers.
According to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board Chairperson Samuel Oroko, the two latest victims of the pandemic bring the total number of health workers who have succumbed to the virus to three.
Oroko has urged the government to clarify the issue of settling bills for healthcare workers who contract COVID-19 while on duty, emphasizing that the compensation package for health workers must be implemented.
"It is not a request. It is a demand that health care workers are protected," Oroko said.
Acting Secretary-General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Chibanzi Mwachonda has also called on the government to take action to protect frontline healthcare workers.
"The government has a responsibility to ensure the safety of front line health workers is addressed comprehensively," Mwachonda said.
He added that the union had presented a proposal to the Senate ad hoc committee to have a dedicated isolation facility for frontline health workers, but this has yet to be implemented.
Published on July 11, 2020
