The Council of Governors has asked the National Government to decentralise coronavirus testing centres to the Counties to expedite action on suspected cases to curb likelihood of infections spiraling out of control.
Speaking in Nairobi Wednesday during a presser on the Counties’ preparedness in curbing the virus, the Governors said it is imperative for the Counties to urgently have labs that would carry out the tests regularly.
Council of Governors Chairman Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said currently, only two testing Centres at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and National Influenza Centre (NIC) are carrying out tests and asserted that this poses a very high risk should the virus spread rapidly going by the numbers witnessed since last week to date after confirmed cases reached seven.
“We urge the national government to urgently equip Level Four and Five hospitals to enable them collect samples and test them in a timely manner,” said Oparanya who further noted that the long turnaround time between collecting and testing samples is detrimental.
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Governor Oparanya was categorical that indeed all counties need the testing Centres and called on the government to allocate emergency funds to the Counties to deal with the virus which has so far left over 7000 dead worldwide.
According to the Governors, the country is the second week since the virus was first reported and added it is a critical stage, going by the precedence noted in other affected countries where infections rapidly increase every subsequent week, hence testing centres are critical.
Oparanya noted that currently, only one health worker per country is undergoing the training of Trainer of Trainers, a figure which he said is too low and called on the national government to increase slots for nurses to be trained per county.
He urged his counterparts to revive kitties for emergencies in their Counties to deal with the prevailing situation.
Oparanya was flanked by his Embu Counterpart Governor Martin Wambora who echoed his sentiments observing that suspected cases were in his county and he was able to manage on time but decried the fact that they could not test them due to lack of proper testing gadgets.
“Unless we can test as many as suspected cases, we will not manage the rate at which this virus is spreading,” he said.
Machakos Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua on his part concurred with the views expressed and said that Kenya is still suffering colonial hangovers where everything had to be done in Nairobi, with some people in National Government not yielding to decentralisation of services such as equipped testing laboratories.
“All counties have laboratories that can handle such tests during periods like this; we are waiting for approval from the National Government. Devolution has not been in the heart of some people in the system,” said Dr Mutua.
Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku on his part called for a consistent update on the virus infections and urged the public to be wary of misinformation that comes through the social media, some purporting to offer solutions but instead urging them to await government communication.
Present at the presser was Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa who thanked the governors for setting up emergency Centres at their counties to deal with the pandemic that is now a global concern, a fact he said is timely.
“This enemy knows no borders. We need to work together and remain alert, vigilant as well if we are to contain this virus,” he said.
The coronavirus outbreak, which first emerged in China late last year, has quickly marched across the globe, infecting nearly 200,000 people and killing 7,900 as governments scramble to contain it.
Africa, with its fragile healthcare systems, has also recorded more than 400 cases, and Latin America has more than 1,100, with the continent’s most populated country Brazil confirming its first death on Tuesday.