Kenya: 'Nurses risking lives in COVID-19 battle'

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI (AA) – Nurses on the forefront of Kenya’s battle against COVID-19 are risking their lives by working without proper safety gear, a local organization representing healthcare workers said on Wednesday.

“What we are hearing from the ground is that [provision of] personal protective equipment (PPE) remains a challenge at health facilities in most counties,” Seth Panyako, secretary general of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), told local media.

The union has over 30,000 registered nurses in Kenya, where the number of COVID-19 cases currently stands at 172, with six fatalities, and seven recoveries.

“We’re not yet in a crisis in Kenya but we will have one by next month if we continue like this. The [health] minister has said there could be 10,000 cases in the country; we're not ready to handle such a serious outbreak,” said Panyako.

Asked about reports that many nurses are reluctant to assist COVID-19 patients, he said the union had advised healthcare workers to “run away” if they are not given the proper protective equipment.

“Where there is absolutely nothing to use to protect yourself as a health worker, our advice has been to run away. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure a safe work environment,” he said.

“These nurses have pledged to protect human lives but that doesn’t mean they have to risk their lives by exposing themselves to harmful conditions.”

He said nurses working with COVID-19 patients do not even have the option to self-isolate or stay in quarantine.

“There are no measures in place to ensure that nurses and other health workers can protect themselves and those around them,” Panyako stressed.

Thurania Kaugiria, secretary of the Nairobi branch of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), echoed Panyako’s concerns.

He said Kenya is relatively better prepared for a virus outbreak than other countries but lacks measures for health workers.

“There are other issues that are really very specific to health workers and those are the ones we [as a country] are not prepared for,” he said.

The Kenyan Heath Ministry has yet to comment on the matter, and Anadolu Agency’s attempts to reach officials for a response were unsuccessful.