Kenyan Nurse Battling Covid-19 Gives Birth in ICU

A Kenyan nurse battling Covid-19 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has given birth to a bouncing baby girl. 

The 32-year-old nurse from Rachuonyo, Homabay County successfully delivered the child at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital (KTRH) last Friday, according to The Standard.

Doctors said the mother, who has been under oxygen at the hospital’s ICU for the past one week, had signed consent to undergo a Cesarean Section but she delivered normally. She contracted the virus when she was 33 weeks pregnant.

Her husband, who is currently in isolation, was overjoyed after seeing the baby through the incubator.

“I went in with the doctors dressed in the full Personal Protective Equipment. I saw my baby through the incubator. In an otherwise non-COVID-19 environment, I would be with my wife and the newborn, I could be holding the baby, it is tough but I thank the doctors at the hospital for the work they have done,” the husband told The Standard.

KTRH CEO Enock Ondari said the nurse was referred to the facility for ICU management from Rachuonyo Sub-County hospital after she complained of difficulty in breathing and chest pains.

Ondari said the baby is doing well, and medics are closely monitoring the two.

 “COVID-19 is new to all of us and we can’t predict the end result of such a case. The baby and the mother are doing well. They are all stable. We are doing 24-our monitoring on the two,” said Ondari.