The Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache told a parliamentary committee on Monday, August 30, that the daily Covid-19 death statistics as announced by the government are not accurate.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), PS Mochache explained that the Ministry of Health was facing challenges in getting the actual number of deaths caused by Covid-19.
Mochache told the parliamentary committee that the Ministry can only confirm deaths that occur within hospitals and post-mortem examinations of a few that happen within the community.
She told the PAC committee chaired by Ugunja legislator, Opiyo Wandayi, that the situation has been worsened by a shortage of pathologists in the counties.
Mochache told parliamentarians that only four officers who conduct the examinations on Covid-19 deaths are attached to the MoH headquarters in Nairobi.
“People are dying in numbers but we cannot give evidence that the community deaths occur as a result of Covid-19 complications when issues of pathology are absent at counties,” the Health PS stated.
“I agree with your observations on the recording of deaths since we are not able to capture all community deaths.”
She further explained to MPs that the country is in the fourth wave of Covid-19 but counties did not prepare well to tackle the pandemic, citing the insufficient number of pathologists in the devolved units.
“There is absolutely no doubt that we are in the fourth wave. Counties have not invested in autopsy and you cannot ascertain deaths that occur within communities,” the PS added.
Over the weekend, a report by the Nation published an expose that detailed how fake Covid-19-free certificates are being sold in Nairobi's River Road area.
In 2020, JKIA Officials arrested 21 people accused of attempting to use fake Covid-19 -free certificates to travel from Kenya to the United Arab Emirates.
