By TITUS TOO
Panic
gripped Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Eldoret (MTRH) on Thursday when a
patient was admitted with symptoms of viral disease, Ebola.
The
patient who had travelled from Juba in Southern Sudan through Uganda to
Eldoret was put in isolation as doctors attending to him put on protective
gear to avoid possible infections.
As word went round that a suspected Ebola
case has been received, more protective masks were provided as some staff
around the casualty area of the hospital avoided handshakes.
The
patient’s relatives however said the patient had been sickly for about three
weeks in Southern Sudan and that they had decided that he travels for
medication at MTRH Eldoret.
On
Monday MTRH Director Dr John Kibosia, said the patient had fever and was
bleeding while passing urine and diarrhoea.
He
said the hospital was taking precautions by putting him in specialised
isolation as blood samples from the patient are sent to Kenya Medical Research
Institute (Kemri) to ascertain his condition.
“As
for now, we are treating it as haemorrhagic fever as we await tests result from
Kemri. But since he was in Uganda where Ebola has been reported, we do not want
to take chances,” said Dr Kibosia.
Ebola
is one of the most virulent diseases in the world and is spread by close
personal contact.
There
is no vaccine for the virus whose symptoms include sudden onset of fever,
weakness, headache, vomiting and kidney problems.
On
Wednesday, there was a scare of the disease in Siaya after a man was admitted
with symptoms.
The
Government has already formed a national task force to avert a possible spread
of Ebola from Uganda where it has killed 17 people since an outbreak was
reported three weeks ago.
Director
of Public Health Dr Shahnaaz Sharrif announced the formation of the team on
Wednesday, adding that all health workers have been put on high alert.
“The task force will monitor the situation
and advise the Government. Similar committees have been formed at the border
districts,” he said.
Dr
Sharrif said relevant labs have been put up at the Kenya Medical Research
Institute (Kemri) to undertake rapid Ebola tests.
The
Minister of Public Health is expected to give a statement in parliament
Thursday afternoon on the situation after the report of the disease in Siaya.
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