Bodaboda
operators and business owners in shinyalu, khayega, museno market have
complained of failure from the county government of kakamega to provide them
with water and sanitizers as a measure to curb the spread of coronavirus.
This comes in
the wake of Nairobi residents fleeing to seek refuge, after the country’s capital
recorded about 7 cases of the viral flu, out of 600 tested patients.
They noted that
the risk of contracting covid-19 from customers and passengers coming from the
capital city is high.
The traders added
that they have complied with the ministry of health directive by buying hand sanitizers,
but fear that this may not last long, calling on the county government come in providing
more for the increasing number of passengers.
On Thursday,
the Council of Governors called on the National government to urgently equip
all Level Four and Five hospitals to collect and test samples of patients suspected
to have contracted dreaded flu.
Led by the Chair,
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, they said more testing centers should be
established and training of additional laboratory personnel initiated.
Currently,
only two laboratories, Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and National
Influenza laboratory, are able to test for the Covid-19.
“This in
itself is a great risk for the country should the disease spread rapidly in
many counties at the same time.Longer turnaround time for sample collection,
and testing is not good for the response,” GovernorOparanyasaid.
The training
of frontline case management healthcare workers to combat Covid-19 pandemic
started on Tuesday and will endtoday(Friday),witheach countybeingrepresented by
only one healthcare worker.
CoG
alsowantsHealth CS Mutahi Kagwe to ensure that all 47 county governments
acquire enough PPE kits to help contain the virus.
Currently,the
counties have only received 2805 PPE Kits instead of the promised 305,000 set
of PPE kits.
Compiled by David Khayumbi, News 9
Kenya Correspondent.
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