The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has called for the urgent hiring and training of doctors and healthcare workers, to deal with the strain created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
KMPDU deputy secretary general Dr. Chibanzi Mwachonda said since at least 5,000 posts were advertised, nothing has changed, and that there has been no engagement in terms of employment and training. “What we are seeing in most Counties is that Level 2 and Level 3 facilities which serve at community level are being closed down so that these workers can serve in those isolation and treatment centers which are being set across the country, leaving communities unattended,” he said.
He added that the healthcare workers are facing the challenge of insufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), saying that most doctors don’t have access to N95 masks, goggles and other equipment. He affirmed that the PPEs are key for the safety of workers during the Coronavirus pandemic, “This is an issue of concern that needs to be addressed….our healthcare workforce is so strained that we cannot afford to have healthcare workers infected and undergo quarantine at this point in time.”
