Covid-19: Mombasa bans home-based care over improper ICUs
Mombasa County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo with Deputy Governor William Kingi during a press briefing on Covid-19 containment measures on August 3, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Mombasa's response committee, while raising the alarm about a surge of infections in the tourism hub, Tuesday prohibited individuals from operating unlicensed ICUs at home, with the help of health workers.
Mombasa County’s Covid-19 response committee has banned home-based care, saying individuals have started setting up improper intensive care units (ICU) in their homes.
A source revealed to Nation. Africa that some health workers are now seeking leave from work to start offering such services.
The government began offering home-based care last year to deal with asymptomatic cases and decongest isolation facilities.
It later flagged some health service providers for offering ICU care at home, noting it requires specialists as the patients are in a delicate state.
Mombasa's response committee, while raising the alarm about a surge of infections in the tourism hub, Tuesday prohibited individuals from operating unlicensed ICUs at home, with the help of health workers.
The committee, led by Deputy Governor William Kingi and County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo, said it is dangerous for individuals to engage in this.
"Treatment of Covid-19 cases at home is prohibited. We have received cases whereby some individuals have opened ICUs in their own homes, which is a very dangerous practice. All those battling the virus must seek treatment in hospitals.'
Public Health Chief Officer Pauline Oginga said: "It has come to our attention that there are people doing case management at homes. The home-based care guideline is very clear about the point at which someone is supposed to be in home isolation or admitted to hospital, whether public or private."
She added: "There are people who are now administering oxygen, IV and other kinds of treatments within homes. This is very risky because of lack of capacity and skills for monitoring these patients."
The effect is that we are getting late referrals from such entities."
Ms Oginga noted that the result is late referrals from such entities and that the health conditions of such patients deteriorate and that the outcome is always poor.
Other regulations
The committee also banned all live performances in hotels and bars.
A multi-agency committee has been formed in the six sub-counties - Changamwe, Jomvu, Kisauni, Mvita, Likoni and Nyali - to inspect all bars and shut down those that are non-compliant.
“Employees are encouraged to work from home, except providers of critical services which include security and health workers,” said Mr Kitiyo.
The committee further funeral and other such rites shall take place within 72 hours of confirmation of death.
It also encouraged members of the public to get vaccinated as the county has recorded a low uptake.
Mr Kitiyo ordered transporters, supermarkets, bars, shops, hotels and restaurants to comply with health protocols, warning that enforcement officers will conduct checks.
“We will inspect all premises to ensure compliance. We are recording more infections among young people. We have also seen people who have been vaccinated getting infected, but vaccination is important,” said Mr Kitiyo, who chairs the county security committee.
The committee also banned all public gatherings and in-person meetings and said places of worship must follow the guidelines by the Interfaith Council.
“We have seen a surge of infections yet there’s some laxity in following protocols,”Dr Kingi said, explaining the need for stricter measures in the fight against the virus.
Mombasa County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo addresses the press on Covid-19 containment measures, flanked by other county officials, on August 3, 2021.
County statistics
Ms Oginga said all the 13 isolation facilities in the city are full as the county is battling community transmissions. Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, the largest facility in the region, is overwhelmed.
“Several cases are coming into our public facilities from communities. We had 144 admissions in the 13 isolation facilities as of August 2, with five patients on ventilator support, eight on supplementary oxygen and another eight under observation,” she said.
Forty eight other patients are on supplemental oxygen in the general ward while 75 are in the general isolation ward, she added.
Ms Oginga said deaths had increased from 36 in June to 89 in July, and that the county had recorded 13,609 cases, including 297 deaths, since the pandemic was first reported in Kenya in March 2020.
Statistics from the county show the positivity rate has increased from 7.1 percent to 15 percent.
“We have seen a doubling of cases, hence the need for individual responsibility,” she said.
