Health workers in Kenya are calling for urgent measures to protect them from Ebola as the country confirms its first imported case of the virus. The Kenya Medical Association and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers have urged the government to ensure that health facilities have adequate personal protective equipment, isolation units remain fully operational, and surveillance at ports of entry is intensified. This comes as the patient, a Kenyan who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years, travelled to Nairobi and was later isolated at a hospital after presenting with symptoms.
The patient, who had passed routine port health screening before being identified at a hospital, highlights the need for strengthened surveillance at health facilities. The Kenya Medical Association said Kenya has the capacity to contain the outbreak if early action, community cooperation, and transparent leadership are maintained. The association also called for greater protection and support for frontline healthcare workers who are at heightened risk of exposure while responding to suspected cases.
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers commended the Ministry of Health for maintaining heightened surveillance since May, including screening more than 652,000 travelers, testing 267 samples, and training 4,971 health workers. However, the union said the case demonstrates that border screening alone cannot prevent Ebola from reaching communities. The union emphasized that health workers at the first point of care are critical in identifying and responding to suspected cases.
The union has called on the national and county governments to ensure health facilities have adequate personal protective equipment, functional isolation areas, safe waste disposal facilities, and clear referral pathways. They also want health workers involved in Ebola screening, triage, and treatment to receive risk allowances, medical cover, life and occupational insurance, and guaranteed compensation for families of workers who become sick or die in the line of duty.
The union further demanded a clear post-exposure protocol, including immediate risk assessment, confidential testing, monitoring for 21 days, and paid special leave for exposed health workers. They also called for accelerated Ebola training, with priority given to outpatient departments, casualty, triage, laboratory, and records staff, particularly in border and entry-point counties. This training is critical in ensuring that health workers can identify and respond to suspected cases effectively.
The union also called for the resolution of ongoing industrial disputes involving clinical officers and other health workers, warning that prolonged labour disputes could weaken Kenya's ability to respond to Ebola. They urged counties that have not concluded return-to-work agreements with clinical officers to engage the union immediately. The union emphasized that health workers are critical in responding to the outbreak and that their concerns must be addressed.
The union called for intensified public education on Ebola, urging Kenyans to seek medical attention early when they develop symptoms and to disclose travel or contact history to health workers. They stressed that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from the disease, as well as contaminated items, and is not spread through casual contact.
Key points
- Health workers in Kenya are calling for urgent measures to protect them from Ebola.
- The Kenya Medical Association and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers have urged the government to strengthen preparedness measures.
- The union emphasized that health workers at the first point of care are critical in identifying and responding to suspected cases.
