This archive report was first published on 8 May 2020.
On May 8, 2020, the Kenyan government reported that 34 frontline healthcare workers had contracted COVID-19, out of a total of 621 frontline staff.
Ministry of Health Acting Director General Patrick Amoth stated that all 34 infected healthcare workers were responding well to treatment and were expected to recover soon.
According to Dr. Amoth, the infections were either directly related to their work or indirectly acquired, such as through social interactions with COVID-19 positive individuals.
He emphasized that healthcare workers were at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, putting them at a higher risk of contracting the disease.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had directed the development of a welfare package to support and reward frontline healthcare workers, who were putting their lives at risk to serve the nation.
Healthcare workers, including nurses, clinical officers, and medical lab technicians, had threatened to go on strike if their demands for better terms and conditions were not met.
