Hospital Call That Terrified My Wife - PS Narrates

A file photo of Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri (L) with his Agricultural Research PS Prof. Hamadi Boga
A file photo of Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri (L) with his Agricultural Research PS Prof. Hamadi Boga
The Standard

PS Agriculture, Prof. Hamadi Boga, on Friday evening, August 14, narrated his experience when he received a call from the Nairobi Hospital, informing him of his COVID-19 status.

In an interview, Boga disclosed his disbelief when the lady on the other side of the phone relayed that he was COVID-19 positive.

"I was sure the lady across the phone was doing her best, but she really was not sure what to tell me or what to do beyond announcing the positive results," he narrated.

An image of Hamadi Boga
Agriculture Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga smiling while seated in a lounge
Business Daily

Boga, who received the call in the middle of a zoom meeting with his counterparts, narrated that both he and his wife were terrified of the news that had just been broken to them.

"I tried to absorb all that information and then went to the bedroom and told my wife. Of course, all of us were terrified despite the fact that I had symptoms that mirrored those of the disease. It was very shocking and took like five minutes before I figured out what to do," he continued.

The family feared calling for an ambulance, afraid that their neighbours would stigmatize them, hence, he decided to use private means to get to an isolation facility.

Boga mainly experienced high blood pressure and a persistent cough.

Fortunately, results of all the other family members returned back negative and Boga took precautions been set by the government in order to combat the spread of Covid-19.

The PS believes that the government should concentrate on educating families on how to self-isolate as well as other preventive measures in the wake of the pandemic.

"The youth in the maskanis, blogs and WhatsApp groups are consumed by skepticism and conspiracy theories. We should scale and frame our communication at this phase of the pandemic and trickle it down to the community influencers so that we can address the negative narrative," Bonga stated.

A medical practitioner dressed in protective gear at Coronavirus isolation and treatment facility in Mbagathi District Hospital on Friday, March 6, 2020
A medical practitioner dressed in protective gear at Mbagathi District Hospital on Friday, March 6, 2020
Simon Kiragu
Kenyans.co.ke