Health workers today mourn the death of 8 doctors who succumbed to the Coronavirus. – By Gerald Gekara.
In response to the alarming situation, the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has issued a 17-day strike notice owing to lack of prioritization of Health Care Workers protection.
General Secretary George Gibore who announced the notice at a presser, said that KUCO and by extension the medical fraternity was deeply disturbed by the unpreparedness the Ministry of Health.
“As part of streaming and standardizing the management of Coronavirus, MoH spent millions to formulate policies and guidelines geared towards the rational use of PPEs and infrastructure in all health facilities, but to our disappointment, those guidelines are not being implemented and almost all health workers lack the right PPEs to protect themselves,” he added.
Gibore said the death of the health workers was avoidable since they belonged to vulnerable groups.
“It is worth noting that almost all health workers who have succumbed to the virus belong to the vulnerable group of the elderly, pregnant and those with pre-existing conditions.”
As of the date of this publication, Kenya recorded 1,080 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday bringing the cumulative number of positive cases in the country to 69,273.
Among other affected sectors include learning centers which have collectively reported over 100 positive cases of COVID-19.
