More than 30 healthcare workers in Kenya died Cause of Covid-19

November 15, Kenyan Clinicians’ Union and the Kenyan Doctors, Pharmacists, and Dentists’ unions announced at a joint press conference that the Kenyan government and local governments did not provide enough anti-pandemic supplies for front-line health workers and did not establish A sound pandemic prevention management mechanism has caused at least 31 medical staff to die of Coronavirus pandemic

More than 2,000 front-line health workers contracted Coronavirus pandemic, and many people were seriously ill. The medical staff who died were the elderly, pregnant women, and susceptible people with underlying diseases. 

Speakers from the two trade unions pointed out that although the government has expanded the recruitment of a group of health workers in the name of the “Health for All” project, these people have worked without pay for 6 months and have not received pandemic allowances.

Kenyan health workers strongly urge the government to improve the working environment and conditions. They said that they will give the government 21 days to complete the following requirements, otherwise they will go on strike on December 6. 

The specific requirements are:

• 1. Immediately distribute the idle anti-pandemic materials previously purchased by the Kenya Medical Supplies Administration to various medical institutions.
• 2. Special medical facilities and institutions are designated by the government to treat and manage confirmed cases of Coronavirus pandemic, and the government is responsible for the allocation of corresponding medical and pandemic prevention materials.
• 3. All health workers should enjoy medical insurance that includes the cost of treatment for COVID-19.
• 4. All health workers who are pregnant or over 55 years of age or have underlying medical conditions should be instructed to work from home.
• 5. Pay the salaries of health workers who participate in the “Health for All” project to work in the counties within 7 days.
• 6. Increase the health risk allowance to reduce the financial pressure on health workers.
• 7. Expand the enrollment of 10,000 health workers, including 3,000 clinicians, to replace those who meet requirement 4 and those who are in isolation.
• 8. Include the establishment of a medical service committee in the constitutional amendment to ensure better management of the welfare of health workers.
• 9. Retrain and re-educate all active health workers in infection prevention and control.

According to the Kenyan newspaper Nation, Kenya’s medical resources are in short supply. There are currently only 9,096 licensed doctors in the country, of which 2,591 are expert doctors, and 10 of the 31 medical staff who died of Coronavirus pandemic are expert doctors.

Kenya’s health service is a big loss. Even with the 228 foreign doctors working in Kenya, there is only one doctor for every 5,101 people in Kenya, which is far below the WHO recommended rate of one doctor for every 1,000 people.