KMPDU demands urgent protection of healthcare workers after Ebola case

KMPDU Secretary-General and CEO Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah at a past event. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has called for urgent measures to protect healthcare workers and strengthen Kenya’s preparedness following confirmation of an imported case of Ebola virus disease.

The patient, who was receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital, later died, prompting the union to express condolences to the deceased’s family and recognise healthcare workers who attended to the patient.

In a statement, KMPDU Secretary-General and CEO Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah said the development should be treated with the seriousness it deserves.

 “Our healthcare workers must not be the weakest link in our response. They must be our first line of protection,” Atellah said.

The union acknowledged the Ministry of Health’s activation of contact tracing and outbreak response measures but said the confirmed case was a reminder that preparedness for high-consequence infectious diseases could not be left to chance.

KMPDU called for all healthcare workers who may have come into contact with the patient, either at Nairobi Hospital or other points of care, to receive immediate medical monitoring, psychological support and appropriate follow-up.

It also urged health facilities to be equipped with specialised personal protective equipment (PPE), infection prevention protocols and training to enable them to safely manage suspected cases.

The union further called on counties to provide medical cover for healthcare workers, while urging the Social Health Authority (SHA) to ensure workers are not denied access to services because of delayed remittances by employers.

On contact tracing, KMPDU demanded a rigorous, timely and transparent process, with healthcare workers and the public receiving regular and accurate information to prevent misinformation and unnecessary panic.

 “We cannot afford gaps in information when dealing with a disease of this nature,” the union said.

KMPDU also called on the government to immediately confirm that isolation and high-consequence infectious disease treatment units at regional referral facilities are functional, adequately equipped and staffed by trained personnel.

 “Preparedness cannot exist only in policy documents. We cannot wait for cases to increase before discovering that our facilities are not ready,” KMPDU said.

The union also demanded greater involvement of frontline healthcare workers and their representatives in national and county emergency response structures.

According to KMPDU, healthcare workers directly involved in patient care understand the gaps and risks within the health system and should therefore help shape decisions on containment, infection prevention and worker protection.