Kenya: KMPDU Wants Govt to Educate Medics on Ebola Virus Management

1 October 2022

Nairobi — The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists' Union (KMPDU) wants the government to educate medics on the Ebola Virus identification and management in the event of an outbreak.

According to the union's Secretary general Davji Bhimji Atellah, more doctors should also be employed.

While emphasising the need for more Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), he pointed out that frontline workers are more at risk.

"KMPDU is urging the MOH to employ more critical health care staff to address the constraints that may arise in the event of an Ebola virus outbreak in Kenya," he said.

"The MOH front-line workers engagement should consider fair comprehensive covers and compensation packages," he stated.

He urged the government to conduct simulation exercises not just as a standard medical practice but as a strategy to also create awareness and reduce community transmissions.

He also emphasised the need for the government to create regional temporary isolation facilities equipped with critical healthcare staff and relevant emergency equipment.

He stated that this will ensure efficient well-equipped response and surveillance response function to manage all suspected Ebola cases immediately.

"Set up isolation centers and stock with necessary medical and equipment supplies and provide adequate personal preventive equipment (PPEs) in case of suspected Ebola virus in the country," he stated.

He urged the government to ensure there is enough border surveillance at points of entry and screening to be conducted regularly as there are many informal land and water border crossing points.

"KMPDU wishes to urge the government to invest more in the health sector and health workforce to meet the challenges of this new emergency," he stated.

The death toll from an Ebola outbreak in Uganda has risen to seven, the health ministry said Friday, after President Yoweri Museveni ruled out a lockdown to contain the highly contagious virus.

Authorities declared an outbreak in the central district of Mubende last week, the East African nation's first Ebola fatality since 2019.

On Friday, the health ministry shared a graphic on Twitter showing that the cumulative deaths were now seven, up from five on Wednesday, while the total number of confirmed cases had reached 35.

In a televised press briefing on Wednesday, Museveni said some 19 others classified as probable Ebola cases had also died, but said they were buried before they could be tested for infection.

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