City Hall has set up six cholera treatment
centres in county health facilities
to ease congestion at the Kenyatta National
Hospital.
Wards at the referral facility are full
to capacity, forcing the management to
use beds reserved for accident victims
to accommodate cholera patients.
By midday yesterday, 101 patients
had been admitted to the hospital and
67 cases confirmed.
Deputy director of Medical Services
David Soti said more people are being
taken to the facility with cholera
symptoms.
“I can’t say exactly how
many are admitted because I have not
received the daily report [from KNH],
but the fact is that more people are
being admitted even as we try to treat
and discharge others,” he said.
Health chief officer Sam Ochola said
the six treatment centres will be up
and running from today.
They have been established at Mbagathi
Hospital, Mathare North and Kibera
South health centres, Mukuru Kwa
Njenga, Mukuru Kwa Reuben and
Kawangware.
At least 336 cases have been reported
in two months. The county and the
Health ministry have imposed measures
to curb the spread of cholera.
Three people have died since May.
On June 22, more than 50 people
were hospitalised with cholera after
eating food at Weston Hotel during a
health conference.
PREVENTION MEASURES
On Tuesday, Medical Services director
Jackson Kioko said the ministry and
the county government had started
campaigns to educate residents on
prevention measures.
He said hospitals had been stocked
with drugs and water-treatment
chemicals would be distributed to residents.
On Monday, Kioko formed a task
force to bring the problem under control.
He directed all the counties to
cancel food handlers’ medical certificates
and examine the handlers afresh
within 21 days.
“Ban hawking of food in towns and
estates and ensure strict enforcement
of this directive,” Kioko ordered.
However, a spot check by the Star
in most parts of the city showed that
roadside food sellers still go about their
business, despite the ban.
Critics of Governor Evans Kidero
administration have, however, blamed
City Hall for the outbreak and spread
of the disease, saying the county has
failed to provide proper sanitation.
“Nairobians do not have clean water.
Burst sewers are everywhere. Cholera
is a creation of this county government
and it is an embarrassment to us,” governor
candidate Peter Kenneth said.