Health workers in Kenya have called on the government to strengthen measures to protect medical personnel following the country’s first reported Ebola death.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union urged authorities to act swiftly to protect healthcare workers who may be exposed to the virus.
The union’s secretary-general, Dr Divji Atellah, said health workers should be at the forefront of the country’s response and receive adequate protection.
“Our health workers must not be the weakest link in our response. They must be of first line of protection,” Atellah said in a statement on Tuesday.
Kenya’s Health Minister, Aden Duale, announced the death of a 40-year-old Kenyan businessman who contracted the virus while living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to Duale, the man developed symptoms about a month ago and initially received treatment in the DRC. He later travelled by road to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi on October 3 for further treatment.
He died on Monday evening.
Atellah called on the government to respond with “urgency, transparency and responsibility”, particularly in monitoring people who may have been exposed to the patient.
He said healthcare workers who had contact with the deceased should receive immediate monitoring, psychological support and appropriate follow-up.
The union also called for rigorous contact tracing and adequate preparedness at healthcare facilities to prevent further transmission.
Kenyan authorities have so far identified 28 contacts of the deceased, including family members and healthcare workers. None had tested positive for Ebola at the time of the report.
Health officials are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight as the deceased. Authorities said arrangements had been made for the possible quarantine of people considered at risk.
The reported case marks the first time Kenya has recorded an Ebola infection.
Neighbouring Uganda previously recorded 20 cases, most involving people who had travelled from the DRC, with two deaths. Uganda was declared free of Ebola in August.
The World Health Organisation reported that, as of October 2, there had been 8,463 cases and 4,082 deaths linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola since its emergence in the DRC.
There is currently no specific vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, making early detection, contact tracing, infection prevention and protection of healthcare workers important components of the response.
