By ELISHA OTIENO
Posted Monday, August 6 2012 at 11:29
Kenya has set up two surveillance centres on its shores to monitor possible spread of the Ebola virus from Uganda through the Migingo island in Lake Victoria.
The medical surveillance centre are based in Muhuru bay and Sori beach respectively to monitor visitors coming from the island.
Explaining the decision, the Nyatike District Commissioner Moses Ivuto said the high traffic of Ugandans passing through the island on their way to Kenya had prompted the decision.
The DC said Kenya's health officers will be visiting Migingo island regularly to conduct screening on people visiting the island, especially those from Uganda.
“ I want to assure the islanders and the security officers deployed there that they should not panic since the Government is on top of the situation,” said Mr Ivuto.
Kenyan fishermen and traders had complained that their Ugandan counterparts were trooping to the island in large numbers for fishing but were not being screened due to lack of medical personnel and equipment on the island.
“We are living in extreme fear of contracting the virus which may sweep us here due to lack of well-equipped medical facility. What we have is only one chemist selling the basic painkillers,” said Mr Tom Jairo , a fisherman.
The Kenyan traders spoke during a visit by officials from the Kenya police headquarters to assess the housing needs of the Kenyan security forces who are policing the island jointly with their Ugandan counterparts.
“ We want the Government to set up a screening centre in Migingo, complete with staff to take care of out safety,” added another fisherman Mr Malachi Otieno.
Migingo has a population of about 1,000 people working as traders, fishermen and prostitutes and who are mainly drawn from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Other islands in the lake being frequented by residents of the East African Community (EAC) include Remba, Ringiti, Mfangano and Lolwe.
Homa Bay District hospital has also been placed on high alert for Ebola after a middle-aged female patient exhibited symptoms similar to those of the dreaded disease. http://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/kenya-sets-ebola-center-migingo-visitors?utm_source=Global+Crisis+Management+Community&utm_medium=twitter
Posted Monday, August 6 2012 at 11:29
Kenya has set up two surveillance centres on its shores to monitor possible spread of the Ebola virus from Uganda through the Migingo island in Lake Victoria.
The medical surveillance centre are based in Muhuru bay and Sori beach respectively to monitor visitors coming from the island.
Explaining the decision, the Nyatike District Commissioner Moses Ivuto said the high traffic of Ugandans passing through the island on their way to Kenya had prompted the decision.
The DC said Kenya's health officers will be visiting Migingo island regularly to conduct screening on people visiting the island, especially those from Uganda.
“ I want to assure the islanders and the security officers deployed there that they should not panic since the Government is on top of the situation,” said Mr Ivuto.
Kenyan fishermen and traders had complained that their Ugandan counterparts were trooping to the island in large numbers for fishing but were not being screened due to lack of medical personnel and equipment on the island.
“We are living in extreme fear of contracting the virus which may sweep us here due to lack of well-equipped medical facility. What we have is only one chemist selling the basic painkillers,” said Mr Tom Jairo , a fisherman.
The Kenyan traders spoke during a visit by officials from the Kenya police headquarters to assess the housing needs of the Kenyan security forces who are policing the island jointly with their Ugandan counterparts.
“ We want the Government to set up a screening centre in Migingo, complete with staff to take care of out safety,” added another fisherman Mr Malachi Otieno.
Migingo has a population of about 1,000 people working as traders, fishermen and prostitutes and who are mainly drawn from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Other islands in the lake being frequented by residents of the East African Community (EAC) include Remba, Ringiti, Mfangano and Lolwe.
Homa Bay District hospital has also been placed on high alert for Ebola after a middle-aged female patient exhibited symptoms similar to those of the dreaded disease. http://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/kenya-sets-ebola-center-migingo-visitors?utm_source=Global+Crisis+Management+Community&utm_medium=twitter
