Health workers in Nyanza have complained of lack of preparation and safety gears as the fight against Covid-19 takes centre stage in the country.
In interviews, representative of doctors and nurses complained of lack of necessary training on how to handle patients, a lean staff and lacks of protective gears.
“These are our biggest worries and we hope the national government will move with speed and tackle the shortfalls,” said Kevin Osuri, the Kenya Medical Practioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) chairman for Nyanza region.
In an interview with the Star on Thursday, Osuri said they only had about 900 members in Nyanza’s six counties of Siaya, Kisumu, Migori, Homa Bay, Kisii and Nyamira.
“We need the government to take this time and employ more doctors in the country and equip clinics,” he said.
He added, “We are not satisfied and are worried as we are ill-prepared. We don’t have necessary training and capacity with enough protective equipment to battle the virus.”
Migori county nurses union chairman Morris Achochi told the Star on Wednesday that medics were at high risk of contracting the virus since they did not have the required equipment to handle patients.
“In Migori, we are yet to get enough hand sanitisers, fumigation services and other personal protective equipment for all health workers,” Achochi said.
He said the government should take,as a wake up call, reports in the media of medics running away when suspected Covid-19 patients arrive in hospitals.
But Migori public health chief officer Fidel Majiwa said the county had set aside Sh40 million to deal with cases of coronavirus in the county and insisted that they were prepared.
Health executive Isca Oluoch said the county was prepared and that procurement of safety equipment was ongoing with medics and other stakeholders already trained.
Edited by Henry Makori
