The Vihiga County Government has identified five isolation units in health facilities across the county as part of measures to prepare for a possible Ebola outbreak.

The preparations come amid concerns over the spread of the disease, with reports indicating that eight people had been confirmed to have contracted Ebola nationally.

Vihiga County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Services, Dr Nicholas Kitungulu, said the county had designated isolation facilities across its five sub-counties to strengthen preparedness and ensure suspected cases could be managed promptly.

Speaking during an interview in his office, Dr Kitungulu identified the facilities as Vihiga County Teaching and Referral Hospital (VTRH), which will host two isolation units, Ipali Health Centre in Luanda, Bugina Health Centre in Sabatia and Jepkoyai Health Centre in Hamisi.

He explained that VTRH would serve Vihiga Sub-County, with the former mortuary area earmarked for isolation because of its distance from the main hospital block.

Dr Kitungulu said the national and county governments were working together to strengthen surveillance and prevent the possible spread of the disease, including through enhanced screening and monitoring at strategic entry points.

“Those travelling from Kakamega County shall go through the roadblocks since they come from different countries while doing transportation,” he said.

He added that the county was engaging various organisations and stakeholders to support the implementation of the preparedness measures and safeguard residents.

The CECM said police officers and medical practitioners had also been sensitised on Ebola prevention, patient handling and response procedures to improve coordination in the event of an outbreak.

Meanwhile, Vihiga County Environmental Health Specialist Thomas Aliwa said more than 100 healthcare workers had undergone training to strengthen their capacity to respond to suspected Ebola cases.

Aliwa said the county had trained five groups comprising surveillance and response teams, doctors, nurses and laboratory scientists during a five-day training exercise in Eldoret.

He noted that additional mobilisation and training activities were expected to ensure more health workers were equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle suspected cases safely.

Aliwa said the training had focused on appropriate procedures for managing Ebola patients and strengthening the county’s capacity to respond swiftly should cases be detected.

Dr Kitungulu urged residents to remain vigilant, maintain high standards of personal and environmental hygiene and promptly report any suspected cases to the nearest health facility for assessment and appropriate action.

He said continued collaboration between the national government, the county government, healthcare workers and the public would be essential in preventing the spread of the disease and protecting residents.

By Florence Oteng’o