This archive report was first published on 19 July 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across Kenya, the National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) and other healthcare associations have taken a crucial step to safeguard the safety of nurses and other healthcare professionals.
According to NNAK's President, Mr. Alfred Abengo, the association has jointly procured Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) worth Ksh200 million, which are currently being distributed to healthcare workers and nurses across the country.
Mr. Abengo revealed this while speaking on the preparedness to counter the rising cases of COVID-19 among healthcare workers, emphasizing the need for proper training and provision of psychosocial support to address the challenges faced by healthcare professionals.
As of now, we have jointly been able to procure PPEs worth Sh.200million which we are currently distributing to our health workers and nurses across the country,” said Mr. Abengo.
He urged both the national and county governments to increase allocation of resources to enable the healthcare personnel to fight the pandemic, highlighting the need for additional investment to address the critical gaps of under-equipment, understaffing, and undertraining of nurses and midwives.
So far, Kenya has recorded three fatalities among healthcare professionals, a matter that has raised concerns on the safety of their working environment.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, and in Kenya, NNAK has rolled out a campaign to recognize, celebrate, and honor the nurse and midwives while also highlighting the challenges they face.
