Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale stated that the Ministry of Health has conducted facility readiness evaluations and continues to enhance capabilities at national referral institutions and high-risk counties.
Addressing Parliament, Duale outlined the strategies implemented by the ministry to handle and control the Ebola threat.
Duale explained that the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has established an 8-bed isolation and treatment unit and conducted a simulation of index case management procedures. The hospital has also implemented a segregated waste management system for proper handling of infectious materials.
The National Police Service Hospital has been evaluated and maintains 49 beds available for activation as part of increased isolation capacity.
Duale reported that 29 counties have designated isolation and treatment facilities as part of outbreak preparedness initiatives. He mentioned that the Ministry, working with appropriate regulatory bodies, is performing on-site inspections, quality evaluations, and random audits to confirm the facilities adhere to standards for infection control, patient movement, waste disposal, worker protection, and emergency referral protocols.
He additionally disclosed that Kenya maintains a reserve force of 241 specialists and responders prepared for deployment to assist with surveillance, contact tracking, case investigations, diagnostics, and field operations. This group includes 51 graduates from the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, 118 African Volunteer Health Professionals, and 72 Basic Health Emergency Management experts.
Furthermore, 1,069 national and county healthcare personnel have been educated on Ebola preparedness and response protocols, improving the nation’s ability to identify and manage potential outbreaks.
He affirmed that the established facilities constitute Kenya’s national public health preparedness framework and were created to boost the nation’s response capabilities to disease outbreaks, not specifically for foreign nationals.
These facilities are not created for the sole advantage of foreign nationals, international governments, or any particular group of individuals. They are designed to safeguard all individuals within Kenya’s borders.
Although Kenya’s laboratory capabilities remain robust, Duale observed that existing supplies of specialized test kits, reagents, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can only handle approximately the initial 200 suspected cases. He emphasized the necessity for additional emergency funding and assistance from development partners to improve the nation’s testing capabilities and comprehensive outbreak readiness.
He recommended that anyone experiencing fever, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea following recent travel to affected regions should seek medical care promptly and notify authorities through the public health hotline 719.