Kilifi County Covid-19 multi-agency team has called for the equitable distribution of testing kits to cater for the high demand by locals wanting to know their status.
Members of the committee noted that the area has a large population compared to other coastal counties with over 1.4 million people but the kits distribution has always favoured Mombasa County where many people get tested daily.
The committee made the appeal when presenting their views to the National Multi-agency Covid-19 monitoring and assessment team led by Dr. Eddyson Nyale. The team is among many others going round Counties to access the level of preparedness to handle the surge in Covid-19 patients.
Kilifi County director of Medical Services Dr. David Mulewa said requests for Coronavirus testing kits have not been honoured when compared to neighboring Mombasa County.
“Our lab medical teams at Kemri- Kilifi and Malindi hospitals have always been frustrated by lack of adequate Covid-19 testing kits. When we request for 3,000 kits, we are given only 500 while our counterparts in Mombasa are provided with 5,000 kits when they request for lesser,” he said.
Dr. Mulewa said there are seven health isolation facilities spread throughout the County with a total bed capacity of 317 and six ICU beds adding that additional space on second floor at Kilifi Covid-19 complex is underway to put in over 200 more beds in case of a surge in patients.
He said testing of food handlers has been ongoing following the opening up of businesses but expressed concern that some storage tanks put in market centres and bus parks to avail water for handwashing have been vandalized.
“Our good partnership with the national government, non-governmental organizations and friends has brought success to some extent in controlling the rapid increase of Covid-19 positive cases. Our public health teams have been dispatched back to the communities to sensitize them on the dangers of the disease,” he said.
Dr. Nyale commended the existing good relationships between the two levels of government that has enabled the success in the campaign and called for the establishment of multi-agency teams at the divisional and ward levels through the support of area County Commissioner Magu Mutindika.
