Nairobi — Kenya has opened a designated isolation and treatment facility for healthcare workers who are in the front-line in battling COVID-19.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the facility, based at the Kenyatta National Hospital, will offer both critical and basic care for the healthcare workers.

“This center is a product of collaboration between the MoH, the Rockefeller Foundation and AMREF,” he told a news conference Monday, when he announced 11 new positive cases, raising the total in the country to 281.

Kagwe said that all costs incurred during treatment of healthcare workers will be paid by the government.

While the Health CS did not reveal the number of medics who have so far contracted the virus, he said a doctor was among two people discharged from hospital Monday, raising the total number of people who have recovered in the country so far to 69.

He maintained that the government was keen on safeguarding the safety of the health professionals who have made self-sacrifice to prevent the spread of the virus that has so far claimed the lives of 14 people.

“Our success on treatment is highly dependent on our ability to protect our frontline healthcare workers and heroes in this fight,” he said, accompanied by officials from the partnering organisations.

He said that to date, 4,759 complete Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits and 237,047 assorted components (Goggles, surgical masks, N95 masks, gloves, gowns, rubber boots, shoe covers) had been distributed to the medics.

On training, Kagwe said, the government had scaled up its numbers with the recruitment of more health care workers well on course.

“We have also trained 30,000 healthcare workers and training is still ongoing. The target is to re-sensitize 100,000 more in the next few weeks,” he said.

Article first published on Capital FM.