Operations at the Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi, Taita Taveta county, were on Thursday scaled down due to understaffing occasioned by coronavirus infections among health workers.
County Director of Medical Services Elvis Mwandawiro said in a statement that the facility shall also be fumigated. He said eight health workers have so far been confirmed positive for the coronavirus and have been placed under home-based isolation and care.
“All the staff are doing well and a close follow up by the department of health is ongoing,” he said.
Departments which will be affected by the partial closure are radiology, laboratory, casualty and theatre services.
He however said one theatre shall be operational and shall only attend to emergency and ultra-sound patients until further notice.
The male ward has also been closed indefinitely.
The facility’s medical superintendent Felix Kimotho further asked members of the public to seek health services at the nearest medical facilities.
Kimotho denied claims in a section of the media that the facility had been closed, noting that operations had only been scaled down.
“We are currently facing understaffing because a big number of our workers have been placed under self quarantine. A number of departments are however running,” Kimotho told the Star in an interview at the hospital.
He urged the public to cautiously adhere to all containment measures to control further spread of the virus.
Health Services executive John Mwakima revealed that health workers who were on leave had been recalled to fill the gap.
Mwakima said there is 43 active cases of coronavirus in the county. Eight cases are being managed at the county isolation ward in Mwatate while 35 are under home-based isolation and care.
Mwakima pointed out that the county does minimal testing as Kemri in Kilifi is overstretched.
“Every county within the Coast region is only allowed to submit 30 samples for testing in Kilifi everyday. We are therefore not in a position to test as many people as we would wish,” Mwakima observed.