•Hospital has more than 800 in-patients and handles another 700 out-patients dail.y
•Moi hospitals and facilities in Eldoret town have established two coronavirus isolation wards with capacity of 120 patients total.
The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret has banned visitors to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
The hospital has more than 800 inpatients and handles another 700 outpatients daily.
CEO Wilson Aruasa said the ban will remain in place indefinitely and urged those with patients at the facility to be patient as restrictions are crucial.
“The move is necessary to protect patients and other Kenyans as we fight to ensure the coronavirus does not spread," Dr Aruasa said in a notice.
He said the hospital is training health workers, including those from private hospitals, on handling the virus situation.
The training will cover staff from eight counties under the North Rift Economic Bloc: Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Nandi, Turkana, Baringo and Samburu.
The counties have enhanced facilities in isolation wards at various hospitals to handle more than 300 patients.
MTRH and facilities in Eldoret town have two coronavirus isolation wards with the capacity to handle 120 patients. Aruasa said the hospital has adequate capacity.
At the same time, seven people who returned from abroad have been ordered to self-quarantine in Uasin Gishu or face arrest and forced isolation.
Governor Jackson Mandago said they had established a county hotline for members to provide information, including on those who refuse to go for self-quarantine.
Those those who refuse to heed the order will be detained at government isolation wards at their own cost.
“We are liaising with our officers on the ground and members of the public to ensure that we get all the necessary information on those who are coming into the country and the county," Mandago said.
Meanwhile, Lugari MP Ayub Savula said his constituents and residents of Kakamega should heed the ban on attending funerals, weddings and other gatherings where the virus can easily spread.
He said Kenyans should follow all guidelines to avoid a full-blown crisis like that in Italy and elsewhere.
(Edited by V. Graham)