CS Rotich admitted to a Nairobi hospital
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich at a past meeting. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- There was still no word from the food supplier who had been contracted to cater for the event.
- Dr Kioko expressed his displeasure at the laxity with which county officials had responded to the ongoing cholera cases.
Three top government officials and several staff from the Trade and the Treasury ministries have been treated for cholera-related symptoms.
This was after they ate food served during a trade event at KICC, Saturday Nation has learnt.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, his Trade counterpart Adan Mohammed as well as Trade Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo were confirmed to have been affected by the contaminated food that has seen more than 50 people treated and discharged for cholera-related symptoms.
HEALTH
Mr Mohammed was treated and discharged.
Mr Rotich was still in hospital by the time of going to press.
Mr Kiptoo said some members of his staff as well as guests, who attended the event, had been affected since the closure of the function, which came to an end on Wednesday.
“We have heard that concern from various participants. We are yet to get comprehensive confirmation from the hosts but, yes, I was also affected but I am okay now.
"I guess most people just went to the hospital individually and got treated. It was quite unfortunate,” Mr Kiptoo said.
RESTRICTED
On Friday, access to Nairobi Hospital’s presidential suite was restricted to patients, doctors and a select number of nurses as it emerged that some of the affected government officials were hospitalised there.
Through a text message, Mr Rotich confirmed he was also affected.
“Asante (thank you) for the get well wish,” the CS said.
TRADE
The Kenya Trade Week, held between Monday and Wednesday, brought together hundreds of government officials mainly from the Treasury and Trade ministries and stakeholders to discuss a new trade policy.
There was still no word from the food supplier who had been contracted to cater for the event.
The Nairobi County health department also remained tight-lipped on the matter even as a number of hospitals in the city reported treating cholera.
LAXITY
Sources, who attended a meeting on Friday between the Health ministry and the Nairobi County government, told the Saturday Nation that the Director of Medical Services Jackson Kioko expressed his disappointment at the laxity with which county officials had responded to the ongoing cases of cholera that are still being reported in hospitals in the city.
Prof Revathi Gunturu, a microbiologist in charge of the Aga Khan University Hospital microbiology laboratory and an infectious disease expert, told Saturday Nation: “As early as yesterday, we had two positive cases, and four suspected cases that will be confirmed tomorrow (Saturday).”
HYGIENE
A Nairobi hospital medic, who requested not to be named, said there had been about three confirmed cases that had been treated in the facility in the last week.
Speaking to Saturday Nation, Dr Kioko said he was “concerned about the issue of cholera in Nairobi”, adding that “it is a shame that a city would be suffering from such a trivial and outdated disease”.
Dr Kioko’s statement came after murmurs from Afya House criticising the Nairobi County government not only on cholera but also general heath delivery.
“Nobody knows where that food has come from, who has prepared it, whether they were medically fit and they just serve it to people”, he said.
