Kenyan Health Workers Protest as Colleague Contracts Covid-19 in the Line of Duty

A Kenyan clinical officer is reportedly among those who have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Kenya.

The medic is said to have contracted the highly contagious disease in the line of duty, according to the Kenya Union of Clinical Workers.

Addressing the press on Tuesday, the union’s secretary-general George Gibore expressed concerns over the safety of health workers handling Covid-19 patients, saying they are not well equipped to protect themselves from the virus.

“Today, the union has learned that one of our colleagues who has contracted the novel coronavirus in the line of duty. She has been performing her duty in the outpatient section and in the clinic in her area of duty until she contracted the virus,” said Gibore.

He added: “You can all understand the anguish she is going through knowing she may have infected her family members and other patients that she served.”

The union accused the government of failing to treat the plight of health workers with the urgency and weight it deserves. Gibore said they tabled a proposal to the Health ministry on March 23rd calling for the protection of health workers through intensive training and provision of protective equipment but nothing has been done.

Last week, Reuters reported that nurses in Nairobi, Kakamega, and Kilifi refused to handle suspected Covid-19 patients due to a lack of protective gear and proper training.

Kenya has so far recorded 50 cases of the virus, a majority of them (38) in Nairobi, six in Kilifi, three in Mombasa while Kitui, Kajiado, and Kwale have one case each.