Kisumu makes first Covid referral as infections rise 

Kisumu County has started making some referrals of Covid-19 patients to facilities in neighbouring counties amid growing strain on its isolation facilities.

On Wednesday, Siaya County received one referral case from Kisumu. 

This week, Kisumu recorded the highest infections, overtaking Nairobi and Mombasa. At the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital Covid-19 isolation centre, chief executive Dr George Rae said on Thursday that they were experiencing space and oxygen constraints. There were 20 Covid-19 patients at the hospital yesterday.

“We have a 100-bed isolation centre just near Kondele police station, but due to the ongoing construction here (the main hospital), we have been forced to move some of the patients there,” he said.

The numbers in Kisii also shot up, with fears that the just concluded Bonchari by-election could make things worse. There are 26 patients in the Covid-19 isolation ward at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital.

County Public Health director Dr Richard Onkware said the India strain, which has been reported in the neighbouring Kisumu remains a concern.

Siaya County recorded 27 new cases of Covid-19, raising the tally to 1, 078 out of 14, 027 samples tested as at May 18.

Emergency cases

County Health executive Dismas Wakla told the Nation that they are careful with patients from other counties so that they do not expose those in Siaya to other variants.

The daily positivity rate of the county stands at 31.4 per cent while those who have been vaccinated are 11,266.

In Vihiga, the county government has finally commissioned an intensive care unit (ICU) at the referral hospital. The operationalisation of the Sh27 million ICU and the Sh30 million oxygen plant is expected to boost response to Covid-19 emergency cases. 

Governor Ottichilo said the five-bed unit will come in handy following the recent surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

“This (ICU) will be a relief since patients who needed the critical services had to seek the services in either Eldoret or Nairobi,” he said.

The oxygen plant is expected to produce 432,000 litres per day.

Six new Covid-19 infections were reported in the county by Wednesday evening bringing the total cases to 323. Of the six new infections, three patients are under isolation at the county hospital while three others are under home-based care.

Epicentre of pandemic

In Migori, 10 remandees from Kehancha GK prison tested Covid-19 positive on Wednesday. They are currently isolated at Migori GK prison.

The county has so far recorded 1,338 positive cases and 21 mortalities.

“We have not recorded a case of the variants reported in Kisumu and neighbouring Tanzania,” county Health executive Kephas Nyamita said. He noted that cross-border coordination with Tanzanian officials had been enhanced.

Kakamega County, which had become the epicentre of the pandemic in the region in the recent past, has reported a decline in infections.

Health executive Collins Matemba said the decline follows multi-agency sensitisation and enforcement of measures put in place by the county government and private sector.

In Bomet, three patients are currently in ICU while 32 are in home-based care, according to Medical Services executive Dr Joseph Sitonik. Kericho County has 214 patients in home-based care while 39 are hospitalised, with none in ICU.

Report by Elizabeth Ojina, Rushdie Oudia, Ruth Mbula, George Odiwuor, Vitalis Kimutai, Shaban Makokha, Derick Luvega and Ian Byron