Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui has beefed up his Covid-19 arsenal with 42 healthcare workers who have a wealth of experience from battling Ebola in West Africa.
The 42 healthcare workers were part of the 155 Kenyan medics who were deployed in West Africa in 2015 to help fight Ebola.
The medics helped contain the spread of Ebola in Liberia, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.
The county's Director of Medical Services, Dr Daniel Wainaina revealed that the healthcare workers bring a wealth of experience after battling another highly infectious disease.
"Kenyans bearing the brunt of coronavirus pandemic can derive several lessons from the experts’ experience in containing the Ebola scourge in West Africa.
"One of the key lessons we have already learnt from the volunteers is the protection of medics who need to be well equipped and kept healthy for them to discharge their duties effectively."
Nurses have threatened to down their tools in various isolation and treatment centres, complaining of lack of proper training and protective gear.
The Ebola outbreak led to the death of over 11,000 people after the infection of over 28,616 people in West Africa.
With some Kenyans still regarding Covid-19 as a myth, Wainaina revealed that the medics will use the experience in fighting Ebola fake news to battle Coronavirus.
"From the Ebola experience, we have learnt that misleading myths and deliberate misinformation made some people not seek medical care at the right time. With Covid-19, misleading information jeopardizes intervention efforts."
County Executive Committee Member for Health, Dr Zachary Gichuki Kariuki noted that Covid-19 mitigation measures are similar to the ones adopted in Ebola.
"Kenya must tackle the coronavirus epidemic in a similar manner as West Africa handled the Ebola virus. All prevention methods must be adhered to.
"This entails avoiding contact as with Ebola, washing hands as with Ebola, and avoiding public places. We must ensure prevention and control measures before getting to hospitals."
