Taskforce says Isiolo County well prepared to handle coronavirus
KMTC Board Chairman Philip Kaloki (left) presenting the report on Covid-19 preparedness to Isiolo Governor Mohamed Kuti.
What you need to know:
- The taskforce was mandated to assess and rate preparedness of counties in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The report rated Governor Mohamed Kuti’s administration’s support towards Covid-19 at 85 per cent.
- The taskforce also found out that the county had enough essential equipment and health commodities.
- Dr Kuti said his government is committed to providing quality healthcare.
Isiolo County is well prepared to handle the coronavirus pandemic, a report by a taskforce formed by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe shows.
The taskforce was mandated to assess and rate preparedness of counties in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among the parameters the technical team of experts led by KMTC Board Chairman Philip Kaloki drew its findings from include the county’s administration support, health centres isolation units bed capacity, infrastructure, human resource and availability of essential equipment and health commodities.
The report released on August 17 rated Governor Mohamed Kuti’s administration’s support towards Covid-19 at 85 per cent after assessing the county’s emergency response, case management, laboratory testing, supply of essential medicines and risk communication.
Prof Kaloki (left) speaks when he met Governor Kuti.
10 hospitals assessed
The experts carried out an assessment of 10 health facilities including Merti and Garbatulla sub-county hospitals and the Isiolo Referral Hospital from July 22 to July 30, 2020.
Apart from establishing 105 isolation beds across the county and seven ICU beds supported by a six-bed-capacity high dependency unit at the referral hospital, the county has also ensured regular supply of oxygen at the hospital and the one in Garbatulla.
The taskforce also found out that the county had enough essential equipment and health commodities that would run up to end of September and which include 500 boxes of non-sterile gloves, 500 gowns, 900 aprons and 1,500 face shields (goggles).
Others are 20,000 boxes of face masks, 800 N95 masks, sanitisers and disinfectants.
Health staff training
The county government has so far trained 603 health workers, 214 support staff and 703 community health volunteers across the region with focus now on those working in private hospitals.
Isiolo has also tasked two focal persons to record and report suspected Covid-19 cases and established a command centre manned by healthcare workers on a 24-hour basis.
Speaking while handing over the report to Governor Kuti, Prof Kaloki said Isiolo has performed very well based on the ratings but refused to divulge further information on whether it is the best in the cluster comprising Laikipia, Samburu and Marsabit counties.
He said they had also assessed the county’s response plan, financing mechanism and cost management for pandemic related cases and the functionality of its emergency team.
Dr Kuti said his government is committed to providing quality healthcare and will allocate more resources towards meeting the required 300 beds threshold.
Hard work and commitment
“I want to praise the health team for their contributions towards Covid-19 fight and the rating that we have been given is as a result of their hard work and commitment,” said Mr Kuti.
He said the report has rubbished previous claims of inadequate preparedness to handle the pandemic by his political foes.
The governor announced that his administration will use Sh120 million from the Kenya Devolution Support Programme to set up a 300-bed capacity modern isolation facility for dealing with other infectious diseases should they arise in future.
“We hope the situation does not get out of hand but we are working round the clock to attain the 300 isolation bed capacity,” he said.
The county is, however, understaffed, with at least 160 health workers required to meet the recommended ratio at Isiolo Referral Hospital, Garbatulla and Merti sub-county hospitals that require 106, 42 and 13 more workers respectively.
Risk management plan
The taskforce also found out that the county had not set up a risk management plan and a committee for planning, identification, mitigation and costing.
Prof Kaloki said the team will assist the county to come up with a plan in a week’s time to assist in effective management of Covid-19 and ensure no cases are referred to other counties.
The county has been asked to establish mortuaries for preservation of bodies in health centres and dispensaries and put up signage to indicate isolation units in all the facilities.
The taskforce also recommended that more healthcare workers be deployed to the isolation units and staff at Kipsing and Oldonyiro health centres be adequately trained and provided with enough protective equipment.
Bulapesa MCA, who is also Isiolo County Assembly Health Committee Chairman, Idd Kimathi asked the county to improve on the highlighted gaps for better performance and enhanced services.
Speaker Hussein Roba praised the county government for the measures it has put in place to deal with the pandemic whose total reported cases stand at 35 in Isiolo.
