Machakos Stadium Converted to COVID-19 Hospital for Mass Testing and Isolation
Statement by Dr. Alfred Mutua, Governor Machoks County
As we embark on preparing for any rise in the number Covid-19 infections, the Machakos Government has converted Machakos Stadium into a health facility. The stadium will house temporary mass screening and treatment areas and will be able to isolate those who are found positive and treat them for mild and non-critical conditions.
We have taken this step to free up our Machakos Level 5 from being a treatment and isolation centre. This will protect other patients from being infected too. It is out of experience from other hospitals where bacteria and viruses have been spread to patients who are suffering from other conditions. The stadium is in a wide open area, allowing for good flow of air and conditions that promote distancing and quality of life.
Machakos Level 5 hospital sits only 200 meters from the stadium and during treatment, any medications required or health workers required can be dispatched to the stadium within minutes by foot.
1,000 Isolation Beds
In addition to the stadium, we have also identified a 200 bed hospital which we have set aside for critical care of Covid-19, patients. We will open this hospital when everything is ready and set-up. In Mavoko, we are also converting a health facility to an isolation centre and critical care facility for Covid-19 patients. Our plan is to have 1,000 beds for COVID-19 patients within the next few weeks.
In addition to caring for the sick and preventing the disease from spreading, we have also established protocols and rules of engagement, depending on the level and rate of infections. These could involve closure of our county’s borders, door to door screening among other measures.
Mass Testing
Our Machakos Level 5 hospital laboratories have all the required equipment and personnel required for mass screening, sample analysis and results provision. We are therefore waiting for a go ahead from Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to begin the process. As usual, bureaucracy has slowed down the process of approval for us to start the work but we are confident that we’ll begin in the next few days.
Machakos Preparedness
We have sensitized and trained 2524 CHVs and 1519 health workers, we have 228 persons in quarantine now and 1056 previous persons have completed the quarantine and been discharged.
We have procured and continue to procure masks for health workers and communities, procured prevention materials and fumigated 40 markets; We also have a multi-sectoral sensitization system for the village level involving MPs, MCA, National govt staff and community leaders.
Empathy for Affected
Treatment of infected and isolated persons should be done with utmost dignity and empathy. Let us avoid criminalizing the Covid-19 pandemic; our affected people need to be respected and assisted, not feared and stigmatized.
I am confident that with these measures, we will be able to defeat COVID-19 and save lives.
