Government hospitals charge Ksh 1000 for COVID-19 test

The Ministry of Health has refuted allegations that Kenyans are being forced to pay over Ksh 5000 for COVID-19 test in designated government institutions. 

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe clarified that government hospitals were charging Ksh1000 and urged Kenyans to visit the facilities to know their status.

His sentiments were echoed by Kenyatta National Hospital CEO Evans Kamuri, who said currently Mbagathi hospital has been set aside to specifically take care of confirmed cases and the very sick to contain the spread of the virus.

He, however, said mass testing conducted by the Ministry of Health is free of charge.

At the same time, CS Kagwe said the country has enough PPE’s noting that it is a matter of individual hospitals to ensure they have them. 

CS Kagwe: We have more PPEs at the moment than we need. We have not received any information about a hospital in Nairobi without PPEs. Even this door here has PPEs #CoronaVirusUpdate ^MK pic.twitter.com/VycJJt3Jb6

— KBC Channel1 News (@KBCChannel1) July 13, 2020

This even as he called on individual responsibility to curb the spread of COVID-19.

CS Kagwe: You cannot whip people or put them in prison to make them understand there’s a disease. There is Covid-19 even little children are singing they can get it. #CoronaVirusUpdate ^MK pic.twitter.com/gDmbnZBXWJ

— KBC Channel1 News (@KBCChannel1) July 13, 2020

While acknowledging that transport has been one of the key challenges identified especially in accessing the rural areas as the Government works at providing of quality health care, the CS flagged off Rapid Response Vehicles to 13 high-risk counties.

The vehicles will be handed over to 13 counties to boost capacity in contact tracing and surveillance as we work to curtail the spread of the virus in the country.

“It is my pleasure to preside the handover ceremony and distribution of Rapid Response Vehicles to various counties. These vehicles have been procured by the Covid-19 Health Emergency Response Project (C-HREP) in my Ministry, at a cost of Kshs.102 million,” said CS Kagwe.

Counties identified to benefit from this support include; Nairobi which will get two vehicles one for Kenyatta National Hospital and the other, for the newly formed Nairobi Metropolitan Services. Others are Mombasa, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, Nyeri, Migori, Busia, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Taita Taveta, Elgeyo Marakwet and Kisii.