Shalom Hospital in Athi River was on Friday sealed off after reports went rounds that several patients had succumbed to Covid-19.
A number of healthcare workers and patients are also said to have tested positive for the virus.
The choice to seal off the controversial health facility was arrived at after consultations with the Kenyan Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council, County Government of Machakos and the Director General of Health.
Shalom will in the mean time serve as a quarantine facility until screening and testing for Covid-19 is complete. That means no one will be allowed of the facility and the completion of the process.
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua said the facility will stay sealed off for many days until the screening and testing process is done.
“The process of screening and testing for Covid-19 may take several days and has already started,” Mutua said via tweet.
Mutua said further decisions will be undertaken after evaluation of the relevant agencies providing healthcare and helping in the fight against Covid-19.
He called on the members of the public to observe patience as they make efforts to the facility is and curb further infections within the hospital.
Shalom-hospital got into the limelight last year after an incident of negligence that led to the death of a 7 month old baby.
Baby Ethan had minor burn injuries on the left hand was given a injected with a dose of morphine drug.
The incident saw the lincence of the facility withdrawn by The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board and the patients were given 48 hours to move to other facilities.
According to KMPDB’s Prof. Were, injections as morphine should not be administered by community health workers as was the case in Shalom Hospital.
“Morphine interfered with the breathing of the baby because it is a heavy dose and was administered by an unqualified person,” s Prof Were said.
