Govt plans to start Covid-19 tests for all Kenyans who seek admission to hospitals

If new propositions by the Ministry of Health are passed, Kenyan hospitals will be required to test all admitted patients and those slated for admission for the novel coronavirus.

Speaking on Monday from Afya House, Ministry of Health Director General Dr.Patrick Amoth said the move will protect the frontline health workers and those admitted in wards from the pandemic.

“It is likely that when an asymptomatic case is admitted to hospital, they may spread the virus to the healthcare workers or other patients in the ward, we need to be able to protect those people,” Dr Amoth said.

Upon the review of the guidelines by MoH’s case management team, all Kenyans seeking medical services from various hospitals will be required to undergo mandatory testing before their admission.

“Before you are admitted to hospital, one of the tests that you will have to undergo will be a Covid-19 test, this will protect frontline health workers and other patients whose immune system may be compromised,” Dr Amoth added.

At the same time, Dr Amoth noted that the Ministry of Health was working on a step-wise distribution of coronavirus tests kits to ensure that no Kenyan would miss out on treatment because they had not tested for the coronavirus.

“These test-kits will be distributed in a stepwise manner to ensure that this requirement will not be used as a basis of denying Kenyans treatment for other conditions,” he added.

Kenya has so far recorded 700 coronavirus cases after 23 people among them 9 Kenyan truck drivers tested positive between Sunday and Monday.