stanmwa
Senior Lister
Kenyan nurses wearing protective gear prepare a ward during a demonstration of preparations for any potential coronavirus cases at the Mbagathi Hospital, isolation centre for coronavirus, in Nairobi, Kenya March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Njeri Mwangi/File Photo
Kenyatta National Hospital's (KNH) Mbagathi infectious disease unit will no longer be handling Covid-19 suspected cases but only confirmed ones.
In an internal memo seen by the Star, the institution's Directors and Head of Departments were also cautioned not to receive referrals from counties unless under special circumstances.
The memo dated July 9 was signed by the hospital's Senior Director of Clinical Services, Dr Irene Inwani.
"The Head of Unit Respiratory Infections Diseases is directed to stop all the screening activities and public testing at the KNH Mbagathi IDU,"she said.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on July 7 said there will be no airlifting of patients from other counties to Nairobi.
"There will be no capacity to be brought to Nairobi for treatment as Nairobi itself will be already overwhelmed. Where we are heading is unpredictable," Kagwe said.
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2020-07-07-airlifting-of-patients-to-nairobi-not-allowed-cs-kagwe/
Three days ago, Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) also announced cessation of sample collection for Covid-19 at its headquarters and other centres.
In a statement on Wednesday, director general Yeri Kombe said walk-ins to the facilities will no longer be allowed.
"Members of the public and all corporate clients are advised to make a formal request to Kemri if they need Covid-19 sample collection services," he said.
However, the institute did not give reasons for stopping collection.
