Healthcare workers to receive psychosocial support

Frontline public healthcare workers dealing with COVID-19 patients will receive psychosocial support to help them cope with the daily challenges occasioned by their service in the fight against the pandemic in the country.

The healthcare workers will also receive training on case management, and on the application and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s).

This will be a year-long intervention to ensure that healthcare workers across the country are well equipped to serve in the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative has been financed by the Kenya COVID-19 Fund and Equity Group Foundation (EGF) at a cost of Kshs 85 million.

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Kenya Medical Association (KMA) will implement the program together with the National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK), Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU), Kenya Psychiatric Association & Clinical Psychologists’ Association of Kenya.

Other Associations that are part of this initiative include the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, Kenya Clinical Officers’ Association (KCOA), Kenya Pharmaceutical Association and other healthcare professional associations.

Dr Elizabeth Gitau, CEO of the Kenya Medical Association details the elements of the program by stating “As KMA, the health and wellbeing of our members have been a focus of our interventions. Many frontline workers are ill-prepared to face a global health emergency. These factors can lead to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and a lessening of the professional demeanour and skill which our medical professionals need to care for the public.”

To further support and strengthen the health system and frontline healthcare workers inadequately mitigating COVID-19, the coalition will be following Ministry of Health guidelines developed together with the COVID-19 Case Management Training Program to ensure that this training is cascaded to all counties in the country.

Case Management training and the psychosocial wellness program targets to reach 50,000 health workers of all cadres to boost confidence and enhance professional acumen in dealing with the COVID-19 health crisis.

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