BBC’s Ferdinand Omondi points out coronavirus pitfalls in Kenya

BBC journalist Ferdinand Omondi took to Twitter to point out some of the gaps that government is overlooking.

“A friend of mine’s unwell. Gone to Nairobi hospital. Been told she has to test for COVID-19. Later she’s told they are packed; referred to Mbagathi. She asks hows she is to get there.
Told to find her way.”

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Ferdinand added,

“That’s a dangerous lapse for me. What if her choice is public transport?”

In a subsequent tweet, the media personality continued,

“Anyway I advised her to call 719. The line does work. But She says she’s been told to find a taxi! Something about private hospitals not providing transfers for such suspected cases…”

This left Ferdinand asking,

“I am now wondering about the symbiosis between private hospitals and coronavirus isolation centres for suspected cases. #FightCOVID19.

“The impression I am getting is that if you dial the coronavirus hotline 719, you will be asked to make your way to an isolation facility. That flies in the face of making that precautionary call to begin with.”

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A tweep who was not impressed called @Komondi43 pointed out that,

“Reasons why I keep on advocating for pre-hospital emergency care but nobody has shown interest to know more about what am talking about..Pre-hospital emergency care plays a big role in healthcare sector and that’s what developed countries are depending on.”

He noted,

“All patients are supposed to be picked by ambulance if our emergency medical services was functional currently we have disorganized health care system we focus more in hospital and we forget patient that patients are not generated inside hospital.”

Kenya has so far recorded 7 cases of patients with COVID-19.

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