This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
Kenya's healthcare system is facing a significant challenge as the country struggles to prepare for a potential surge in COVID-19 cases. According to experts, county hospitals are still not equipped to handle the demands of a large-scale outbreak.
As of June 4, 2020, Kenya had reported 1,962 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 123 new cases reported on Wednesday. The country has also seen 64 deaths attributed to the virus.
Dr. Geoffrey Kulabusia, a medical immunologist at Egerton University, warned that many counties in the Rift Valley and Western Kenya are yet to harmonize their systems to accommodate the rising cases. 'Some counties like Bungoma are not prepared, other than level five hospitals which are already inflated with patients and understaffed,' Dr. Kulabusia said.
A recent study by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) found that the country urgently needs an additional 1,511 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 1,609 ventilators to cater for a possible one million COVID-19 cases. Currently, the country has only 537 ICU beds and 256 ventilators.
The study also found that there is substantial variation in hospital bed surge capacity across counties. For example, under a six-month transmission scenario, only 12 per cent of general hospital beds would be available for occupancy by a COVID-19 patient in Tharaka-Nithi, compared to 145 per cent in Trans Nzoia County.
According to the study, significant gaps exist in Kenya's capacity for hospitals to accommodate a potential surge in caseload due to COVID-19. The assessment says only 22 out of the 47 counties have at least one ICU unit.
The Ministry of Health estimates that between 80 and 90 per cent of COVID-19 patients do not present any symptoms. However, Chief Administrative Secretary for Health Rashid Aman said that there are instances where patients picked up as asymptomatic have developed symptoms associated with the respiratory infection.
