Medics association calls for mass Covid-19 testing

The Association of Kenya Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers (AKMLSO) has called for mass Covid-19 testing to give a clear picture of the disease positivity rate in the country. 

AKMLSO national executive chairman, Safari Kithi, said the current positivity rate was based on results obtained from target groups and could therefore not conclusively give a true picture of the situation in the country. 

Kithi said the government must move with speed and roll out mass testing for proper mechanisms to be put in place to contain the disease. 

He noted that the government had received a lot of reagents and testing kits from the donor community which were rotting in stores as the country grappled with another wave of the disease.

Speaking in Kisumu Thursday during the 27th annual AKMLSO scientific conference, Kithi asked the Ministry of Health to stop downplaying the presence of the disease in the country but take decisive steps to ensure that Kenyans are protected. 

Proper diagnosis, he said, was essential in the management of the disease and the Universal Health Coverage program, urging the government at national and county levels to ensure that all laboratories are well equipped.