NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 24 – The Ministry of Health has defended the home-based care for COVID-19 patients rolled out last week.
Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said the programme is undertaken in strict compliance with protocols issued by the World Health Organization’s (WHO).
“This was in consideration that 78 percent of all infected patients are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms that can be managed at home,” she said.
The ministry has already prepared guidelines that also translated into Kiswahili, with counties now required to translate them into local languages.
On Monday, the ministry announced that more than 6,000 patients had been discharged under the new programme.
Dr Mwangangi has assured that the Ministry is working closely with caregivers and the Health Care Volunteers to ensure that patients released for the programme are well taken care of.
“Our renewed focus will involve strengthening community engagement structures in the counties, particularly now that we are dealing with the community spread of the virus. This community engagement strategy also has a role when it comes to home-based care and isolation,” she said.
By June 24, the ministry said infections in the country had increased to 5,206, with 130 deaths.
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