The Unhealthy Medical Sector

We agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged many nations, and the countries are battling its effects. In Kenya, the first case was reported on March 13th, in a person who had traveled from the United Kingdom. Fast forward to December, the country's total recorded instances are at a record high, at slightly above 89, 000 according to the ministry of health. Globally there have been over 63M reported positive cases with over 1.4M patients succumbing to the disease. According to Dr. Nyaringi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Institute of Global Health and Infection, University of Liverpool, and a lecturer at the University of Nairobi's School of Public Health, local transmission accounts for 58%, whereas 42% is imported. From this, it is evident that most transmissions are occurring through what the medics term community transmission. The big question is, how can we stop the community transmission of this virus?

Despite the efforts put by the ministry of health, including the daily briefings by the MOH officials and the Cabinet Secretary, risk communication through the print media and radio, and the availability of toll-free numbers for reporting suspected COVID-19 cases, little progress has been seen. The famous statement by the Cabinet Secretary for health, "If we continue to behave normally, this disease shall treat us abnormally," has been "mesmerized," and the whole issue is taken for granted. The use of face masks is now a cat and mouse game where the people put them on to avoid being arrested, giving an implication that they are doing it for the health officials. People no longer adhere strictly to the set standards for social distancing. In some towns, hand washing zones are now a thing of the past, and worse off is that the public transport vehicles outside Nairobi are carrying excess passengers. Defying these basic rules set by the ministry of health is what is derailing our fight against COVID-19. Community transmission will not be suppressed unless we stick to the established guidelines. The sad thing in our nation as we speak is that the people who were working so hard to protect us from this disease are being affected the most. 

The number of doctors and other medical practitioners who have succumbed to the disease is increasing. These medics have gone for months without pay, with reports claiming that one doctor who succumbed yesterday had not been paid for five months and left his family with a substantial medical bill. These doctors also lack the personal protective equipment to protect them against this pandemic, as they are executing their mandate. As these things are happening, our political leaders are drumming support for the BBI document, and some of them are pushing for a referendum by June next year. Others are using it to gain political mileage by presenting themselves as the "holier than thou" group. This pandemic should be an eye-opener to all Kenyans, and we should stick together and ensure that we chose the right leaders to take our nation forward.