This archive report was first published on 6 May 2020.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread, hospitals in Kenya are experiencing a sharp decline in patient traffic. According to a spot check by The Nation on Tuesday, wards, triages, and hallways in both public and private hospitals are increasingly empty.
Health facilities across the country are reporting a significant reduction in both inpatient and outpatient traffic, with some medical staff left with little to do. In some counties, the number of patients has dropped by more than half, raising concerns about the health conditions of those with chronic diseases such as cancer, asthma, and diabetes.
Dr. Kariuki Gichuki, the Health County Executive in Nakuru, expressed fears that many people may be suffering silently at home due to fear of contracting the virus. 'We are afraid many people could be wrongly treating some illnesses at home,' he said.
Dr. Gichuki warned that erroneous prescription of medicines bought over the counter can be devastating, especially for those who are not sure of the kind of disease they are treating.
Similar concerns were raised in Homa Bay, where one case of coronavirus has been reported. The Homa Bay Teaching and Referral Hospital has seen a significant drop in the number of outpatients, from an average of 250 per day to 100 since the outbreak of Covid-19.
Other hospitals, including the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital and the Mandera County Referral Hospital, have also reported a decline in patient traffic. The situation is no different at the Meru Referral Hospital, where the Chief Executive Officer, James Kirimi, said both the outpatient and inpatient departments had few numbers.
At the Mama Lucy Hospital in Nairobi, doctors told The Nation that the TB centre was experiencing dwindling traffic. In Wajir County, which recorded its first case of the virus at the weekend, the Wajir Referral Hospital administrator, Roble Ibrahim, said the drop in numbers is expected to continue after they suspended all outpatient services from Sunday.
Patients who spoke to The Nation said they were afraid of contracting the virus. Mr. Njuguna Mwangi, 70, a patient with kidney complications, said he had reduced his sessions to one due to fear of the virus.
Ms. Joan Jebet, a resident of Elgeyo Marakwet, said she had resorted to visiting chemists instead of the hospital since the outbreak of the virus. 'The way the hospital is now is very scary,' she said.
County Health Executives have expressed concerns that patients with chronic diseases are not attending clinics as scheduled, and are likely to relapse. Some medical experts fear that more people are dying from untreated emergencies than from the virus.
