This archive report was first published on 17 July 2020.
Published on July 17, 2020, a day after 41 healthcare workers at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi tested positive for COVID-19, the hospital has been closed to new patients as fumigation begins.
The hospital's main entrance sign reads 'no visitors allowed,' a stark contrast to the usual influx of patients seeking medication, particularly expectant women.
Security officers are strictly checking visitors' lists to determine who can access the wards, with only one person allowed to pick up a relative already admitted.
However, a new concern has emerged: the hospital administration has asked staff to contribute cash and kind to support the isolated nurses, sparking controversy among officials of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN).
KNUN Nairobi chapter Chairperson Boaz Onchari questioned the move, saying, 'It is shocking that they are telling us to contribute for our colleagues in isolation yet there is a kitty for health workers welfare who actually fall victim in the line of duty.'
The hospital began conducting fumigation on Thursday afternoon, two days after the COVID-19 cases were reported.
