Siaya sets up second Covid-19 ward after Uhuru raises concerns

Siaya County will now have additional capacity for Covid-19 patients after the county government converted the 50-bed Urenga Health Centre in Ugenya Sub-County into an isolation ward.

The health centre becomes the second isolation centre after the first one was set up at the Bondo Sub-County Hospital.

Speaking in Bondo where he made the announcement, Siaya Deputy Governor James Okumbe said the conversion of the facility into an isolation centre is aimed at increasing the county’s' isolation bed capacity to handle a possible surge in the number of positive coronavirus cases.

The announcement came after the county was thrust into the limelight following president Uhuru Kenyatta‘s revelation on Saturday that Siaya has a 10-bed capacity isolation ward with nine confirmed Covid-19 cases.

CENTRE TO START ADMISSIONS

Dr Okumbe explained that the county had begun modalities to convert Urenga to an isolation centre long before the president's pronouncement and the facility will soon start admitting patients.

The deputy governor, who was flanked by the county Health CEC Dorothy Owino and Health Director Ken Orwenjo, said the new facility will increase the Isolation bed capacity from the current 10 to 60.

He further disclosed that currently, there are only four coronavirus patients in the isolation ward after four others recovered while one died before being admitted to the centre in Bondo.

At the same time, Dr Owino allayed fear of the low bed capacity saying all the positive cases in the county were from outside Siaya.

DO NOT PANIC

She told residents not to panic and fully adhere to health guidelines to keep the virus at bay.

"The only way we can win against this virus is if we continue washing our hands, putting on face masks and observing social distance. Let’s not get tired of observing health guidelines stipulated by the government," Dr Owino said.

The team was in Bondo to oversee a fumigation exercise.

The county-wide fumigation was launched two weeks ago by Governor Cornel Rasanga.

In his speech on Saturday, President Kenyatta said he will be meeting with all the 47 governors on Wednesday to discuss modalities of ensuring that each county has at least a 300-bed capacity isolation centre as the country prepares to ease restrictions on movement occasioned by coronavirus pandemic.