National Govt told to Allow Counties to buy Corona vaccines and Rapid testing kits
By Dickson Odhiambo
June 25, 2021
National Govt to told Allow
Counties to buy Corona vaccines and Rapid testing kits
The National Government has been told to allow County
Governments to purchase the vaccine and rapid testing kits for Corona Virus
Disease.
President of Mwalimu James Japheth Mwamu Foundation James Aggrey
Mwamu says the National Government should consider the request made earlier
this week by the Lake Region Economic Bloc to be allowed to purchase the
vaccines and Rapid testing kits for the Covid-19 disease.
Speaking at Nyalunya Primary school where the Foundation
distributed Covid-19 kits that include hand washing soaps, sanitizers and face
masks, Mwamu said the issue of testing and vaccination for the disease is very
key at the grass root level that if Governors are allowed to purchase the items
from abroad then it the public will access them easily.
Mwamu says the national Government takes a longer time to
purchase the vaccines and rapid testing kits which makes many people at the
grass root not get tested and vaccinated as quickly as required.
Mwamu who is also the Former President of the East African
Law Society says if such permission is granted them then the Counties should
only purchase the items that are approved by the World Health Organization and
recognized internationally.
“The Counties should only purchase genuine vaccines which
have been duly approved by the World Health Organization and are
internationally recognized. This is because those who will be travelling will
be required to have certificate after such vaccination,” Mwamu says.
Mwamu’s sentiments comes barely a few days after 14
Governors from the Lake Region Economic Bloc{LREB} urged the national
government to allow them procure vaccines and rapid testing kits directly from abroad.
The Governors say it is true that the National Government
can’t be able to test a bigger population as far as the issue of the spread of
Corona virus is concerned.
Addressing the Press in Kisumu on Tuesday this week in
Kisumu only a few days after the 13 counties were placed under curfew from 7:00
pm to 4:00am from last Friday, the Governors James Ongwae of Kisii and his
Kisumu County Counterpart who were led by LREB Chairman Wickliffe Oparanya said
it would be good if the National Government fully cooperate and work with them
on the issue of allowing them to make purchase of the rapid testing kits from
abroad.
They say they have consulted as the Governors from the Lake
Region Economic Bloc that they are capable of setting some funds aside to
purchase the kits and the Vaccines.
Kisumu Governor Prof Peter Anyang Nyong’o says this is very
much possible but with permission from the National Government.
“We can get rapid test kits from South Korea and we can set
some money for this if the national government can give us permission. We are
prepared to do this as counties,” Governor Nyong’o says
Nyongo says they are going to present this to the Ministry
of health to see what their response will be.
On Vaccination, Nyong’o says that it will work well to help in
curbing the spread of Covid-19, adding that the National Government should also
allow the counties to purchase vaccines.
On the issue of having more oxygen in the health facilities
in the counties, the Governors have said that they are working on ways to
improve the Oxygen capacities in the health facilities to help meet the
required amount of oxygen by patient suffering from Corona Virus.
On the issue of closing of schools again due to be super
spreader areas, the Governors observed that it is not good to do this and what
is important is to observe strictly the laid down protocols on Corona Virus
from the Ministry of Health.
Kisii Governor James Ongwae who is also the Vice Chair of
the Council of Governors says it is no longer the issue of waiting for the
government to do something to the people, adding that the public should
strictly adhere to the laid down protocols.
Ongwae says it is high time the ministry of health to allow
for rapid testing for the virus, adding that the capacity by the national Government
to do the rapid testing to all Kenyans does not exist at the moment.
“The rapid test will be a first step to identify that one
has the virus and will start the initial treatment even before a confirmation
is done through a substantive test either through Kemri Kisumu or other areas,”
Ongwae says.
Governor Ongwae says there is a lot of worries that even the
protocols about the rapid tests has never been provided by the Ministry of
Health, adding that the issue of rapid testing is shrouded in mystery.
“I think the stage has reached where the Counties are
allowed to buy the rapid tests. What needs to be done is for the Ministry of
Health to have proper protocols on this,” Ongwae adds
LREB Chairman who is also the Kakamega Governor Wickliffe
Oparanya says the Committee of Eminent Persons within the Bloc has managed to
give the Governors good statistics on the possibility of being a hotspot on the
issue of Covid-19 disease and this has come to pass.
ENDS:
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