This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
On August 5, a health worker was suspended for revealing that nurses who had tested positive for Covid-19 were still treating patients at the Uasin Gishu district hospital.
The suspended clinical officer, Isaac Tallam, is also the County Clinical Officers Association Uasin Gishu chapter chairman.
According to Tallam, the county government issued him with a suspension letter after he made public the information during a press briefing on August 3.
He alleged that four nurses were still working at the hospital despite testing positive for Covid-19, which caused panic and anxiety among other staff members.
Tallam claimed the county accused him of painting the administration in a bad light, but he argued that he did not commit any crime by relaying the information for the benefit of other staff and patients.
"How can I be suspended when all I did was to raise issues affecting my members who are at risk of contracting the coronavirus for lack of personal protective equipment?" he exclaimed.
Following the presser, the affected nurses were quarantined, and the County government carried out mass testing of all staff at the hospital.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe warned rogue doctors who were not adhering to Covid-19 regulations, revealing that a medic who had tested positive decided to continue with his work.
"Health workers are the first line of defence. They must be disciplined," he urged.
