The Covid-19 home-based care programme in North Rift lacks essential commodities, including medical supplies and food, raising doubts about the efficacy of the programme.
It could fail without affordable supplies and community sensitisation.
Governors have complained the commodities are too expensive for most people.
Items include medication, masks, gloves, temperature guns, waste disposal bags among others.
“This calls for both national and county governments to ensure patients have adequate commodities to manage, monitor and report their progress to health workers for quick intervention as required," the region's eight governors said in a statement on Saturday.
The county chiefs held a virtual meeting and proposed the government should provide a Covid-19 home care kit containing essentials to be donated or sold at subsidised prices.
The meeting included Dr Wilson Aruasa, CEO of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. It was chaired by Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago who chairs the North Rift Economic Bloc.
County bosses said they were using home-based care protocols developed by MTRH and in a few weeks would begin begin public awareness of home care. It was not clear why beginning to raise awareness would require a few weeks.
Dr Aruasa said the programme is for patients who are asymptomatic. To qualify, the patents and their home sitations must be assessed and screened by public health practitioners.
“The county surveillance and treatment teams will play a key role in the successful home-based care plan and sensitisation of the communities,
Aruasa said.
The county chiefs also want proper waste disposal to avoid careless disposal of highly infections used materials and items that might spread the disease.
Counties agreed to invest in incinerators.
Mandago said they were continuously training healthcare staff at all levels to handle Covid-19.
The eight Noreb counties have reported more than 280 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 223 in Uasin Gishu, 37 in Turkana, eight in Nandi and 10 in Trans Nzoia. West Pokot, Baringo and Samburu are yet to report any case.
(Edited by V. Graham)
