What our local hospitals have in store under home-based care 

Most hospitals have a home-based care programme, which though genuine in intentions, fall short in the execution.

There are various reasons for this, chief of which is lack of adequate personnel, commitment to the programme and in some cases, transport to the patient's location.

Each hospital has its own programme but most agree on releasing patients who are showing remarkable progress in order to free beds for critically ill patients.

The KU package is in three categories — silver, gold and platinum. The silver is the lowest at Sh15,000. If you choose this, you’re entitled to a pulse oximeter, a thermometer, a box of gloves, 50 pieces of masks, a 500ml hand sanitiser.

You also get daily doctor telemedicine consults, daily nursing consults, one nutrition consult, one counselling session, one physiotherapy session and a Covid-19 retest.

The gold package, charged at Sh23,782, has all these, plus a blood pressure machine, a glucometer with 50 strips and an entitlement to a repeat clinic.

The platinum package costs Sh30,382. In addition to getting what is available to silver and gold patients, a platinum patient is entitled to several expensive blood tests. These blood tests are quite extensive. They include a full blood count, Urea Electrolytes and Creatinine test, a test to measure kidney function; liver function test, creative protein test, and HBA1C, which is a haemoglobin test used to diagnose Type 2 diabetes.

Lastly, one is entitled to a lipid profile test to check on risk of coronary heart disease.

In order to maintain good health in this country you must have money, bearing in mind that the government has clearly said that the National Hospital Insurance Fund will not cover Covid-19 because “it’s too expensive”.

The HBC plan also envisages the involvement of a social worker. Patients are counselled and, when judged suitable for the programme, they are asked to enrol and to sign a form. But the decision is entirely up to the patient.

In cases of isolation, the patient should be in a separate but well ventilated room. Movement should be limited especially in shared spaces such as the living room, bathrooms, and kitchen.

One caregiver should be identified; masks should be worn indoors all the time and should never be re-used, and they should be removed from the cords and not by touching the front.

Utensils for the patient should be set aside and never mixed with the rest, and they should regularly be disinfected with chlorine bleach.

The following should not be shared with the patient; toothbrushes, cigarettes, utensils, dishes, drinks, towels, washcloths or bed linen.

Cleaning and wiping of surfaces should be undertaken at least twice a day and the isolation period should last at least 14 days. This is the Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital’s HBC programme.

Tomorrow: Why I chose to walk my own path