Nairobi Hospital has a 133-bed designated facility prepared to isolate and manage suspected and confirmed Ebola cases as Kenya steps up its response to the country’s first imported case.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale inspected the facility on Wednesday as the Ministry of Health assessed the hospital’s preparedness to handle any further cases.
The inspection focused on infection prevention and control measures, equipment and the hospital’s capacity to protect patients and healthcare workers.
Principal Secretary for Public Health Mary Muthoni said the exercise was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s preparedness following confirmation of the imported case.
“The exercise is part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen preparedness, ensure health facilities are ready to respond to any suspected cases and prevent further transmission of the virus,” Muthoni said.
The patient whose case triggered the heightened response was a Kenyan who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo before travelling through Uganda to Nairobi.
He arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on October 3 and was taken to Nairobi Hospital, where he was isolated and assessed before being transferred to the hospital’s East Wing Isolation Facility.
Samples tested independently at the National Virology Reference Laboratory and Kenya Medical Research Institute confirmed Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease. The patient later died on October 5.
The Ministry has identified 28 contacts, including family members and healthcare workers who attended to the patient. It is also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who travelled on the same flight from Uganda to Nairobi.
Kenya has been on heightened Ebola alert since May when outbreaks were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
According to the Ministry, more than 652,000 travellers have been screened since then, while 267 suspected samples have been tested through the country’s laboratory network. The confirmed case is the only positive result recorded so far.
The World Health Organization said Kenya had also identified and assessed isolation units in 27 high-risk counties and trained thousands of health workers on Ebola prevention and management.
Muthoni said the Ministry was working with county governments, development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen surveillance, contact tracing, case management and infection prevention across the country.
The inspection came as Nairobi Hospital management reassured the public that the facility remains fully operational.
The hospital said its Ebola isolation unit is physically separate from the main hospital, with a dedicated entrance, access route and staff. Emergency, maternity, theatre, inpatient and outpatient services continue to operate normally.
Health authorities have maintained that Kenya has not recorded an Ebola outbreak, with the confirmed case classified as an imported infection.
The Ministry has urged Kenyans to remain vigilant, observe hygiene measures and seek medical attention if they develop symptoms after possible exposure.