This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
July 15, 2020, marked a significant development in the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya, as the Ministry of Health assured the public that the Pumwani Maternity hospital is safe and secure.
Director-General of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth led a delegation from the health ministry to assess the facility on Tuesday, following reports of 41 staff members testing positive for COVID-19 and undergoing home-based isolation.
Dr. Amoth stated that the Pumwani Maternity hospital has not closed and will not close due to the reported cases. Instead, the facility will scale down its services.
Patients with complicated delivery cases will continue to receive care at the hospital, while those seeking maternal healthcare can access services from adjacent facilities, such as the Eastleigh health centre.
The government has pledged to provide full support to the affected staff members as they recover from the virus.
According to the Ministry of Health, a total of 429 health workers nationwide have been infected with COVID-19, representing 4.2 percent of the cases reported in the country since March.
