The government should not stigmatise Covid-19 patients to help in the fight against the virus, a legislator and a lawyer have said.
Speaking to the Star over the phone on Tuesday, Awendo MP Walter Owino and former Nairobi county legal officer Gad Awuonda said the stigma associated with the virus will affect Kenyans' support in the fight.
The two said the brutal force used by police to enforce government measures against Covid-19, complaints from Kenyans in quarantine and the undignified burial of a Siaya victim will bring stigma.
“We need the government to know that to fight coronavirus we don’t need stigma. Patients and victims should be treated with dignity,” Owino said.
He said the stigma that was brought by HIV/Aids when it was first reported in the country took time, billions of shillings and much-concerted effort from several partners to erode.
“As a community, changing perceptions of mind over a disease is expensive, which is why any stigma associated with coronavirus virus should be fought at the earliest time possible,” the MP said.
He said so far, several leaders and people had donated their time and resources to fight the spread of the virus. Awendo NG-CDF distributed over 10,000 face masks.
Awuonda said with reports of people recovering from coronavirus, the fight will be won.
“We need dignity and humane treatment of Kenyans and patients to be key, since everybody is a potential candidate of infection,” Awuonda said.
He said dignity of victims and upholding their human rights will be key in fighting the virus.
The action taken by Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga to investigate the burial of the victim was the right thing, he said.
James Oyugi Onyango's body was hurriedly buried at night by county officials without a coffin despite the family's plea to allow them time to obtain a coffin and to bury him during the day.
A video emerged on social media showing county official in white protective gear casually throwing the body into a shallow hole, sparking outrage.
Edited by Henry Makori
