Coronavirus patients have gone on a hunger strike over alleged neglect from medical staff.
The patients confined at a Mumias health facility in Kakamega County began their hunger strike on Thursday.
Reports indicate that the patients are related and were nabbed through contact tracing and placed under mandatory quarantine. They are believed to have lost a relative to Covid-19 a week ago.
“We were just brought and dumped here without any health officers attending to us. Besides being put under antibiotic drugs, we have not received any other form of treatment, and we fear our conditions could worsen,” said one of the patients.
“As if suffocating under neglect were not enough, we have been forced to clean the wards by ourselves,” said another patient.
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According to the patients, they will carry on the hunger strike until their needs are addressed.
However, speaking on Thursday, Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) secretary in Kakamega County, Renson Bulunya, noted all patients are equally about laid down guidelines.
He noted that the nurses looking after the COVID-19 patients at the Mumias facility have been professional in their conduct.
Bulunya, who is also undergoing treatment for COVID-19, said a shortage of doctors at the Mumias facility was to blame for the lack of medical attention on the patients.
Kakamega county has emerged as a potential hotspot for the coronavirus pandemic after recording a surge in cases over the last two weeks.
The surge in the case is also reflected nationally. As of November 5th, the country caseload had hit 58,587 with 38,381 recoveries.
Following the surge in cases, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a raft of measures to contain the spread.
