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Medics have come out to express their fears of contracting coronavirus after the death of one of them, as they accused the Government of being unresponsive to their pleas.
Led by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board, the medics said healthcare workers were not assured of their safety as they battle the disease on the frontline.
They lamented that even after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed for an insurance and allowances to be provided for them during the onset of the disease in the country, nothing has been done so far.
KMPDU Secretary General Chibanzi Mwachonda (pictured) said the death of Dr Doreen Lugaliki had demoralised medics as there is no clear framework on how healthcare workers would be treated after being exposed to the virus.
The Government has set aside a 100-bed capacity ward at Kenyatta National Hospital specifically to treat medics infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“Health is a shared responsibility between the national and county governments. Yes, we have a facility at KNH, but what about the counties?” asked Dr Mwachonda.
Mwachonda said at the moment, medics are afraid for their lives and the lives of their dependants.
“As we speak now, we are not sure of our treatment or that of our loved ones,” he said.
Lugaliki, who died on Friday morning, is said to have contracted the virus from a colleague at a hospital in Nairobi. Her colleague got it from a patient. At the time of her death, Mwachonda said, she did not exhibit any signs of an underlying condition, which is one of the risk factors associated with Covid-19-related deaths.
However, it is suspected she had pancreatic diabetes.
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