Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Wednesday led an inspection tour of a specialised infectious disease facility at Nairobi Hospital as Kenya continued preparations to respond to potential Ebola cases.
Duale was accompanied by Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth and members of the media during the visit to the former UN-TNH COVID-19 Treatment Centre located in the hospital’s East Wing.
The facility has a capacity of 133 beds and operates separately from the main hospital. It has been maintained as a dedicated isolation and infectious disease response centre, equipped to support the management of serious infectious diseases.
During the tour, the delegation assessed the facility’s equipment, medical care systems and preparedness of specialised clinical personnel trained to handle infectious disease cases.
The inspection comes amid heightened attention to Ebola preparedness following confirmation of an imported case in Kenya.
Duale reassured the public that the country was dealing with an imported case and not a local Ebola outbreak.
He also highlighted the role of specialised health facilities in strengthening the country’s ability to respond quickly should additional cases be detected.
The Nairobi Hospital facility is among centres prepared to support national response to infectious diseases, with its separate isolation wing allowing suspected or confirmed cases to receive specialised care while reducing the risk of exposure to other patients.
The CS’s visit also provided an opportunity to demonstrate the country’s level of preparedness to journalists and the public.
Health authorities have continued to emphasise surveillance, rapid response and infection prevention measures as key components of managing infectious disease threats.
The inspection underscored the importance of maintaining specialised facilities even after the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring Kenya remains prepared for future public health emergencies.