The ministry of health will on Sunday carry out a “simulation” of a “real” case of coronavirus at Mbagathi hospital in Nairobi.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe made the revelations on Thursday morning, saying the exercise is expected to start at 11 am.
The CS urged the members of the public not to panic during the exercise.
“On Sunday at 11 oclok we will be carrying out a simulation of a real case at Mbagathi hospital. I would beg the media to say because I don’t want when the ambulance start wailing away for people to think we have a real case situiation, ” the CS said.
The Ministry of Health is set to carry out simulation of a real case scenario of #Covid_19 on Sunday, 11.00AM at Mbagathi Hospital.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe's statement. pic.twitter.com/Rciq9WKcSf
— Dala FM Kenya (@dalafmKenya) March 12, 2020
A section of Kenyans have, however, criticised the CS for making the information public arguing that such an exercise is supposed to be carried out without prior warning.
So is it still a drill after announcing?
— Dr. Gibson Kimutai (@KimutaiGibson) March 12, 2020
Just I ask, are drills supposed to be preempted?
— Ba'Mali. (@nyadwas) March 12, 2020
I thought the whole essence of a drill is simulating real time events without prior warning (as long as the drill doesn't end up a disaster like it was during my school days at @StrathU). A rehearsal and a drill are distinct issues.
— Chieftain. (@Masinde001) March 12, 2020
The Mbagathi hospital isolation facility was launched last week on Friday to handle coronavirus cases.
Read: Coronavirus Declared A Pandemic By World Health Organisation
While opening the facility, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said 1100 health workers have been trained to handle coronavirus cases.
The Kenyan government has maintained that there are no cases of coronavirus in the country as all reported cases have tested negative.
According to the CS, the simulation is part of the government’s effort to increase its preparedness just in case the virus enters the country.
Globally, more than 118,000 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in 114 countries and 4,291 deaths.
At least 64,000 people have recovered from the illness around the world according to John Hopkins University.
Read Also: Ride-hailing App Uber Likely To Suspend Accounts Of Drivers, Riders With Coronavirus
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak, which is fast spreading across the world, a pandemic.
“WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” said WHO Director- General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
A pandemic is a disease for which people do not have immunity spreading over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population
According to WHO, coronavirus is a respiratory illness clinically resembling viral pneumonia and manifesting as fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
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