The government has unveiled hotline numbers through which Kenyans in the country and abroad can report suspected Ebola cases or seek information about the disease.
The intervention comes a day after Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case involving a patient who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda on October 3.
The patient died on Monday night. Speaking on NTV’s Fixing the Nation on Wednesday morning, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the dedicated hotline can receive both calls and text messages.
“Outside our social sites, platforms and websites where you get information, we have a dedicated number 0700719719 where you can even chat and get answers from a healthcare worker whether you are in Kenya or outside Kenya,” he said.
Duale said the government prioritised access to information to ensure suspected cases are reported, detected, and managed promptly.
He said Kenyans anywhere in the world could also call the toll-free number 719 to seek information about Ebola.
“So whether you are a Kenyan in DRC or Kenyan in Nairobi or any part, even now if you call you get a healthcare worker,” Duale said.
The CS also said the government would facilitate the transfer of any Kenyan in the DRC who is confirmed to have contracted Ebola and meet the medical costs of those without health insurance coverage for such treatment.
“So we are telling Kenyans, please make use of that hotline,” he said.
On Tuesday, Duale announced that the deceased had tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
The government has since begun contact tracing and quarantine measures to prevent further transmission of the virus.
The patient was buried on Tuesday. In his statement, Duale said contact tracing had identified 27 people who had come into contact with the deceased, including family members.
Authorities were also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight as the deceased from Uganda to Kenya.
“I wish to assure the public not to panic as all systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease,” Duale said.
The government has urged members of the public to report suspected cases and seek information through the dedicated channels rather than rely on unverified information about the outbreak.
The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak has so far killed 4,148 people, according to the latest data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
