A simulation exercise on Covid-19 preparedness for medical staff at the Lamu King Fahad hospital on Saturday stirred panic among residents who translated it to mean the presence of coronavirus patients at the hospital.
The town was tense for the better part of the day forcing the county government to issue a notice on Sunday refuting the presence of any Covid-19 patients in Lamu. It explained that the exercise was a training drill for medical personnel on how to handle patients in case one tests positive.
Rumours had spread like wildfire that a group of Covid-19 patients had been brought to the hospital.
Lamu is among the few counties in the country that are yet to record a single case of the coronavirus with health officials determined to maintain the status quo.
Patients in wards at the hospital are said to have scampered out upon learning hearing the ‘rumor’.
Some members of the public also stormed the facility and whisked away their relatives who had been admitted in various wards.
However, speaking on Sunday, Health CEC Anne Gathoni clarified that there is no positive case of the virus in the county.
“This is to politely inform the public on the Coronavirus Drill Act experienced at King Fahad Hospital between 11am and 2pm today. The Department of Health carried out a surprise simulation exercise within the facility. This was done to assess the hospital’s preparedness in admitting and taking care of patients suffering from severe Covid-19 disease,” she said.
Gathoni urged members of the public to ignore any information on social media concerning the existence of coronavirus patients in Lamu dismissing it as lies.
She said in the eventual case that there is an outbreak of the virus in the county, the Health office and an announcement from the Ministry of Health under Health CS Mutahi Kagwe would suffice.
On March 21, there was commotion at the hospital after a crowd of residents blocked the admission of a suspected Covid-19 patient, a 74-year-old Italian male who had been brought in from Mpeketoni.
The patient had to be returned to Mpeketoni with reports indicating that he was quarantined at his home in the town until results returned indicating he didn’t have the virus.
Edited by R.Wamochie
