Multi-agency team sent to barracks after suspected Covid-19 exposure

A surgical mask used to prevent the spread of coronavirus. [WIilberforce Okwiri]

A multi-agency team of health workers has been dispatched to Lanet Barracks in Nakuru to monitor the health status of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers.

This follows reports that one of the soldiers came into contact with a Covid-19 patient.

A source who sought anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the press told The Standard that the team comprises public health officials, doctors and nurses.

The team, he said, was dispatched from the Ministry of Health on Saturday and is working closely with health workers in Nakuru County.

Though the military has a specialised team of health workers, they are not enough and may be overwhelmed.

“The ministry ... sent a team of medics who are observing the soldiers to guarantee their safety. We cannot take chances because if it spreads, it will be a disaster and a big loss to the country,” said the source.

The medics, according to the source, are monitoring the soldiers’ body temperatures and looking out for Covid-19 symptoms for informed action.

The team will provide a comprehensive report on the situation that will be handed over to the Ministry of Health.

“Though we have our medics, the volume of work is too much,” said the source.

The team was dispatched a day after a lockdown was imposed at the camp.

The decision to lock down the camp was made after a soldier at the camp came into contact with a 20-year-old woman who tested positive for Covid-19.

The source added that all soldiers who interacted with the contact, including their families, have been taken to an established quarantine area at Moi Forces Academy where they will stay for at least 14 days.

A tent has also been erected at the camp where all soldiers who were on duty during the time the contact soldier reported to work have been isolated.

About 40 soldiers and their families are undergoing observation.

The military camp has a level five facility installed, with three theatres that offer comprehensive healthcare to soldiers. It also has standby ambulances for referral services.

“All measures have been taken to avoid any chance of the spread of the viral disease,” said the source.

A military health officer at the camp admitted that several health activities are ongoing.