This archive report was first published on 27 April 2020.
On Saturday, a 30-year-old Covid-19 patient at the Mbagathi Infectious Disease Unit in Nairobi made a desperate attempt to take his own life.
According to police and medical personnel, the patient had been admitted to the ward at around 6pm and was told he would be there for 14 days.
Medical personnel who were checking on the patients heard him struggle and rushed to his rescue, counselling him and attending to his injury.
“We told him he is young and will recover. We informed him he was not the only one who is sick and that all shall be well,” said an official.
Increased surveillance has been put in place to ensure the patient's safety and that of others in the facility.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by those in isolation, who often view the centres as a form of prison.
As of Saturday, there were 343 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country, with 98 people having fully recovered and 14 having lost the fight.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had announced the extension of the nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew and the cessation of movement into and out of Nairobi Metropolitan area and the counties of Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa for 21 days.
