The COVID-19 pandemic sits ominously at the small waiting bay of the St. Patrick Healthcare Centre in Kayole, Nairobi County. Ann Maina and her team sense its menacing presence one touch away, but find strength in the Nightingale Pledge as they tend to the patients. The public turned to community clinics such as those under the Population Services Kenya (PS Kenya) and Tunza Health Clinics for medical intervention.
Nurses and midwives working in populous urban informal settlements are in dire need of personal protective equipment (#PPEs). RCL together with PS Kenya identified 7 clinics within Kayole, Dagoreti, Mwiki, Kangemi, and Githurai areas where a total of 69 healthcare workers receive over 5000 patients monthly.
“It’s no longer the same. The patients fear coming to the clinic because of contracting the Coronavirus or being victimized. We were nearly shutting down if not for the kind donation,” narrated Ann.
Partners in the Army
The club joined forces with Vitol Foundation, Stanbic Bank and Haco Industries to help protect the healthcare providers.
In a show of solidarity, Vitol Foundation provided PPEs and hand washing stations worth Ksh. 1.2 million.
Stanbic Bank marched in with face masks, face shields, hand gloves, and gowns worth Ksh 500,000. Previously, the Bank through the women’s value proposition, DADA, delivered hand washing stations to improve sanitation within Kibera.
HACO Industries loaded the clinics with 200 Litres of hand sanitizer to power up their defenses.
Rotary Club of Nairobi-Lang’ata President Sarah Migwi expressed the need to protect healthcare workers that care for mothers and children.
“The nurses and midwives are working in precarious environments that put them at high risk of contracting the virus. Together with our partners, we felt the need to step in and continue serving the community,” noted President Sarah.