Nyeri county isolation centres are congested and patients with Covid-19 symptoms are mixing with others in general wards, a doctors’ union leader has said.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union outgoing Central branch secretary Gor Goody said Nyeri county has been recording high numbers of Covid-19 cases as the country fights the third wave of the pandemic.
She said the situation is made worse when the patients’ oxygen saturation is low and has to be supplemented.
Goody, who spoke to the media in Nyeri town on Thursday, said the county hospitals have no piped oxygen and therefore have to use concentrators.
“Concentrators are plastic boxes you see in wards where the machines concentrate oxygen from the environment and then deliver it to the patient,” she explained.
“This is also hazardous as it aerosolizes the virus meaning that anyone that is in that space can inhale whatever virus that a patient has.”
She said piped oxygen is needed in every hospital, adding that the situation is not unique with Nyeri but many other hospitals in the country.
Goody said there has been a shortage of oxygen, gloves and lab reagents as the country battles the pandemic.
Nyeri is doing badly in terms of healthcare and the sector is facing a severe shortage of healthcare workers though there are many unemployed trained medics, she noted.
“I want to encourage the county and national government, to hire more healthcare workers because the only way to protect ourselves from Covid-19 is to make sure that our healthcare workers are enough in our hospitals and are well-equipped,” she said.
She said there is a need for enough oxygen, Intensive Care Units and specialists in hospitals.
She said all hospitals from level 4 and above should have piped oxygen.
“So long you have an inpatient and you have a consultant and a doctor, that means you will have a critical patient and so they should have piped oxygen,” she said.
This she said will also save patients financial burden who are currently made to pay hefty bills for oxygen supplement.
Governor Mutahi Kahiga on Wednesday last week said the county’s mortality rate has hit 5.3 per cent.
There's no story that cannot be told. We cover the stories that others don't want to be told, we bring you all the news you need. If you have tips, exposes or any story you need to be told bluntly and all queries write to us [email protected] also find us on Telegram
