PHOTOS OF PERSONS ESCAPING QUARANTINE FACILITIES TO BE PUBLISHED AS MBAGATHI, KENYATTA HOSPITALS EXCEED THEIR DECLARED CAPACITY
The Kenyan Government is planning to publish photos of all persons escaping quarantine facilities with an aim to protect and alert Kenyans of the imminent danger they are exposed to being around such people.
Confirming the government’s plan, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said the government may begin making the identities of quarantine escapees public soon.
COURTING DISASTER
CS Kagwe described such individuals as a danger to society.
The government is closely following and is concerned about the people placed under quarantine or isolation centers.
Therefore, those who are entertaining these criminals are courting disaster.
He reiterated that nothing can stop the Ministry of Health from publicizing the identity of the escapees so that the general public can identify them.
“ When we get to the point where we know that some people are running away, there is nothing that can stop the Ministry of Health from publishing photographs in the newspapers and saying that these people have run away from quarantine facilities and if you see them call the police or us because they are a danger to the society.”
Six flee from a quarantine facility in Turkana
The CS also noted that six people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus escaped from a quarantine facility in Turkana on Wednesday but the Government’s long arm caught up with them.
He also noted that some patients were deliberately giving the wrong contacts during testing. The CS issued a stern warning against such individuals adding that the Government will catch up with them soon.
Mbagathi, Kenyatta University Hospitals Exceed Capacity
The above warning comes at a time when the Ministry of Health is considering changing tack in the handling of coronavirus patients.
The government is likely to adopt a home-based approach, allowing COVID-19 patients in isolation facilities released.
The patients will then be allowed to undergo medical treatment from the comfort of their homes.
According to the MOH data, the two major isolation facilities are almost filled up at a critical time when the number of coronavirus positive cases is continuously rising.
Kenyatta University hospital which has a bed capacity of 456 beds had a total of 346 coronavirus positive patients.
Mbagathi Hospital on the other hand has a bed capacity of 112.
The CS added that since more than 80% of the patients are asymptomatic, they can be managed through home-based or community based care.
“If this will be implemented, it will free our health facilities from congestion because we are almost reaching full status,” said Kagwe.
