President Uhuru Kenyatta, yesterday, February 28, 2020, gave the directive that the Coronavirus isolation ward at Mbagathi Hospital should be completed within 7 days and be well equipped to be able to deal with the recent scares that have engulfed the country.
This was in response to Rashid Aman, the Health Ministry Chief Administrative Secretary who had indicated that an open ward at the Mbagathi hospital with 120 beds to deal with the virus would require a month to be completed.
In the directive, Uhuru ordered that the national isolation and treatment facility at Mbagathi needed to be completed and ready to receive patients within seven days from the date hereof.
Read: Court Orders Suspension Of Flights From China As Uhuru Forms Coronavirus Task Force
Following the directive, the setting up of the ward has begun with key features and specifications necessitated to deal with the virus and the various scares that have been witnessed across the country.
For instance, according to the Nairobi Health Executive, Hitan Majevdia, the ward is expected to hold about 40 beds.
He added that the machines needed have already been purchased and are awaiting the official opening into the wing.
“We shall assemble all the machines and safely keep up as we prepare as instructed by the President,” said Majevdia.
The Mbagathi Hospital’s Chairman George Osewe also affirmed that the preparation and cleaning was underway following the directive by the President.
Ideally, it is established that a perimeter fence is expected to be put up to separate the main hospital from the isolation ward for precaution purposes.
“It is a weighty issue and we have to take necessary steps to ensure everyone is aware of what will be happening within the premises,” Osewe is quoted.
Although there have been different cases of the virus scare across the country, so far no Kenyan has tasted positive.
However, the virus is reported to have spread, with Nigeria reporting the first case where an Italian man tested positive.
In addition, 83,713 people in about 40 countries have so far been infected and 2,858 reported dead.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874. You can also find us on Telegram through www.t.me/kahawatungu