Covid-19: US donates equipment worth Sh7.9m to Kenyan hospitals

US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter delivers personal protective and hospital equipment to Kenyatta National Hospital officials on July 2, 2020. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • The five hospitals have been at the forefront of diagnosing and caring for patients infected with the new coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic in Kenya on March 13.
  • The hospitals are Bondo Sub-County Referral Hospital (Siaya), Kenyatta National Hospital (Nairobi), Coast Provincial General Hospital (Mombasa), Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (Kisumu) and the Nakuru County Referral Hospital (Nakuru).

The United States has donated personal protective and hospital equipment to five hospitals across the country in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The hospitals in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Siaya and Nakuru will receive N95 masks, surgical masks, coveralls, medical goggles, face shields and pulse oximeters worth Sh7.9 million

The five hospitals have been at the forefront of diagnosing and caring for patients infected with the new coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic in Kenya on March 13.

The hospitals are Bondo Sub-County Referral Hospital (Siaya), Kenyatta National Hospital (Nairobi), Coast Provincial General Hospital (Mombasa), Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (Kisumu) and the Nakuru County Referral Hospital (Nakuru).

The donation is funded by the US Africa Command.

“The United States donates more than any other country to help Kenya’s health needs with over Ksh 60 billion every year,” said Kyle McCarter, US Ambassador to Kenya, at a ceremony handing over equipment to Kenyatta National Hospital on Thursday.

He added: “This Sh7.9 million donation of critically needed protective equipment is in addition to over Sh5 billion in support from the US in the last three months alone directly for Kenya’s response to and recovery from Covid-19.

“USA Marafiki means we are proud to help build the health care capacity of counties and to support Kenya’s health care workers on the front lines of the battle against this virus.”