Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Wednesday, June 3, confirmed that the World Health Organisation has issued Kenya with 1,000 Ebola Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)kits.
Speaking at the National Assembly, Duale stated that the kits were already in the country and were part of the Ebola preparedness procedure.
He added that the kits were distributed across the established Ebola isolation and treatment facilities.
"In infection prevention and control, the WHO has provided 1,000 Ebola PPE Kits, which are available in the country and being pre-positioned to support preparedness activities," the CS stated.
Duale confirmed that the Ministry of Health had established 23 other isolation and treatment facilities across the country, other than the one at the Laikipia Air Base.
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He disclosed that the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and the National Police Service Hospital would be used to handle affected patients at the national level.
"At the National Level, the Kenyatta National Hospital has prepared an 8-bed isolation and treatment unit and completed a dry run of how the index case would be handled. The facility has a separate waste management system to support the safe handling of infectious waste."
"The NPS Hospital has been assessed, and has 49 beds ready for activation as part of the surge isolation capacity," he added.
The Health CS confirmed that 29 counties had identified designated isolation and treatment sites, which will be used once they are approved to have certified set requirements.
He added that the government did not just set up the isolation centres for American citizens and confirmed that the facilities would also be used for the treatment of Kenyans
Duale disclosed that the Laikipia Base would be managed jointly by the Kenyan and American governments. He hinted that the Kenya Defence Forces officers would be the ones taking care of the patients.
"This facility will be run by the Kenya and US governments under the command of the Air Force Commander, the Base Commander and the entire medical team of the Kenya Defence Forces working together with the Ministry of Health," he reiterated.
The National Assembly had summoned Duale to address issues raised about the establishment of the Ebola Quarantine facility in Laikipia County.
