Author: Mercy Kahenda
AfricaPress-Kenya: The positivity rate for coronavirus in the country has reduced in the past one week despite the number of hospital admissions remaining high.
According to documentation by the Ministry of Health yesterday, the country recorded 396 positive cases out of 4,717 samples tested, bringing the positivity rate to 8.39 per cent.
The positivity rate was slightly lower than 9.58 per cent documented on December 5, where 735 people tested positive out of 7,671 samples.
“Today, 396 people have tested positive for the virus from a sample size of 4,717 tested in the last 24 hours, bringing to 88,380 the number of confirmed positive cases in the country,” read a statement by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.
On December 4, the positivity rate for the virus stood at 11.08 per cent, a slight reduction from 12.3 per cent recorded on December 3.
The highest positivity rate for the virus in the past one week was 12.35 documented on December 2. Cumulative tests for the virus are 931,799.
Nairobi County was leading with 154 cases followed by Kiambu with 40 and Busia 31.Bungoma, Mombasa, Murang’a and Nakuru counties recorded 30, 23, 19 and 14 cases, respectively.
Grappling for quality
At least eight patients succumbed to the virus, bringing cumulative deaths to 1,526.
In addition, 1,178 patients were admitted to various health facilities countrywide, while 8,133 were on home-based care.
Out of the admissions, 86 were undergoing specialised care at the Intensive Care Unit, 36 were on ventilator support and 49 on supplementary oxygen.
“Another 66 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen, out of whom 58 are in the general wards. Eight are in the High Dependency Unit,” added Kagwe’s statement.
On a positive note, 397 patients recovered from the disease. Total recoveries now stand at 68,929.
The handling of patients at isolation might be affected by the healthcare workers’ countrywide strike amid acute shortage facing the country.
According to data by Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), the number of doctors licensed to practice in Kenya as at November 9, 2020 is 9,826.
Out of the number, 2,606 are specialised doctors from various fields of medicine.
The doctors are serving about 47 million people as per the 2019 national census, documented by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
Kenya Society of Anaesthesiologist chairperson Stephen Okelo said ICU services might be affected by the strike.
There are about 200 anesthesiologists in the country.
“With the Covid-19 pandemic, patients are grappling for quality healthcare because we have acute shortage of experts, yet most patients require specialised care. This might worsen with the strike,” Okelo said.
He said about 60 per cent of specialists who handle ICU facilities are based in Nairobi, an issue that affects quality provision of healthcare.
Doctors and nurses operating in ICU work with a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, nutritionists, laboratory technicians and social workers.
An ICU helps to deliver oxygen to a patient, supports breathing to a patient with breathing difficulties and helps position a patient.
It also monitors the operation of body organs like kidneys and heart for action, if need be.
“A patient in the ICU should have his oxygen, heart rate and kidneys monitored, and also their immunity checked.
This enhances treatment aimed at saving lives,” said the specialist.
