Kenya Ebola outbreak: India hands over second consignment of medical assistance
Nairobi, Oct 19
India on Monday handed over the second consignment of 11 tonnes of medical assistance to Kenya to support its Ebola preparedness and response.
India's High Commissioner to Kenya, Adarsh Swaika, handed over the second consignment of medical assistance to the Principal Secretary of Kenya's Public Health, Mary Muthoni Muriuki, on Monday.
"India hands over the second consignment of 11 tonnes of medical assistance to Kenya to strengthen Ebola preparedness and response," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X.
The 11-tonne consignment includes PPE kits, powered air-purifying respirators, biosafety cabinets and cold-chain refrigerators to protect frontline healthcare personnel and strengthen laboratory safety and public-health capacity. The Indian High Commission in Kenya affirmed India's support to Kenya in its efforts to contain Ebola.
In a post on X, the Indian High Commission in Kenya stated, "High Commissioner handed over the second consignment of medical assistance to Principal Secretary of Public Health of Kenya Mary Muthoni Muriuki today to support its Ebola preparedness and response, in continuation of the assistance provided in July this year."
"The 11 tonne consignment includes PPE kits, powered air-purifying respirators, biosafety cabinets and cold-chain refrigerators to protect frontline healthcare personnel and strengthen laboratory safety and public-health capacity. India stands in solidarity with Kenya in its efforts in containing Ebola and remains committed to strengthening the longstanding bilateral partnership in healthcare," it added.
India's medical assistance to Kenya comes at a time when the Kenyan health authorities confirmed an eighth Ebola case after a 49-year-old patient attendant tested positive.
Director-General of health in Kenya's Ministry of Health Patrick Amoth said that the patient attendant is in isolation and mentioned that the existing patients are showing positive recovery. He further mentioned that 38 people were tested on Sunday, with one patient coming positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness impacting humans and other primates. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals like fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates) and then spreads to humans through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials like bedding, clothing contaminated with these fluids, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
— IANS
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