This archive report was first published on 20 April 2020.
On April 20, 2020, Kenya took a significant step in its fight against COVID-19 by opening a designated isolation and treatment facility for healthcare workers at the forefront of the battle.
Located at the Kenyatta National Hospital, the facility will provide both critical and basic care for the healthcare workers, who have been putting their lives on the line to prevent the spread of the virus.
According to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, the facility is a result of collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the Rockefeller Foundation, and AMREF.
"This center is a product of collaboration between the MoH, the Rockefeller Foundation and AMREF," he said during a news conference, where he also announced 11 new positive cases, bringing the total in the country to 281.
The government has committed to covering all costs incurred during treatment, ensuring that healthcare workers receive the care they need without any financial burden.
While the exact number of medics who have contracted the virus remains unclear, Kagwe revealed that a doctor was among two people discharged from hospital on the same day, bringing the total number of people who have recovered in the country to 69.
The government has also taken steps to safeguard the safety of health professionals, who have made significant sacrifices to prevent the spread of the virus that has claimed the lives of 14 people.
"Our success on treatment is highly dependent on our ability to protect our frontline healthcare workers and heroes in this fight," Kagwe said.
As part of its efforts to protect healthcare workers, the government has distributed 4,759 complete Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits and 237,047 assorted components, including gowns, gloves, and masks.
Training has also been scaled up, with the recruitment of more healthcare workers and the training of 30,000 healthcare workers, with plans to re-sensitize 100,000 more in the next few weeks.
