KNUN calls for strict border screening measures to prevent Ebola spread

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has called for tighter screening of travellers at border points and airports to prevent the spread of Ebola into Kenya, warning that people arriving from outbreak-hit areas must be identified and assessed before travelling into the country.

The union's Secretary-General, Seth Panyako, said effective screening at points of entry was critical in containing infectious diseases, urging the government and the Ministry of Health to ensure that established World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols for managing Ebola and other outbreaks were strictly followed.

Speaking to journalists in Kisumu on Monday, Panyako said travellers arriving from areas affected by Ebola should be screened at their points of departure and subjected to appropriate public health measures where necessary, rather than waiting until they arrive in Kenya.

He cited the example of a traveller coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), saying authorities at airports in affected areas should identify passengers who may have been exposed to the virus before allowing them to board flights to Kenya.

“If you are coming from DRC Congo and you are at the Endeppe Airport, and you want to board a flight to Kenya, the officers at the point of entry should have screened this person and known that they were coming from an area affected by Ebola. That person would have been put under quarantine at Endeppe, not even in Kenya,” he said.

Panyako said screening at departure points, coupled with adherence to public health protocols, would help authorities identify potential cases early and reduce the risk of the virus spreading across borders.

He urged the government to ensure that the relevant agencies responsible for screening travellers were adequately prepared to identify possible infections and respond appropriately.

The union leader spoke amid public concern over Ebola and the preparedness of healthcare workers to manage suspected cases while protecting themselves and other patients.

Panyako said Kenya's experience in handling the Covid-19 pandemic had strengthened the capacity of nurses to manage infectious disease outbreaks and protect themselves while providing care.

“Covid-19 brought a lot of challenges to us, and through those challenges we learnt a lot. I can confidently say that Kenyan nurses are properly trained to deal with any outbreak in terms of their own safety and the safety of those around them,” he said.

He added that the lessons learnt during the pandemic had helped healthcare workers understand the importance of infection prevention, personal protection and compliance with established emergency response procedures.

Panyako said Kenya had invested in training healthcare professionals and expressed confidence in the ability of nurses to respond to public health emergencies, while acknowledging the need for effective systems to prevent infections from crossing into the country.

He also reported that healthcare workers who had been placed under quarantine at Nairobi Hospital were not showing signs of Ebola infection at the time of his remarks.

“As we speak today, all health workers who have been put under quarantine at Nairobi Hospital, none of them is showing signs of infection with the Ebola virus,” he said.

He maintained that healthcare workers' training and preparedness were important in managing outbreaks but stressed that prevention should begin before potentially exposed travellers entered the country.

The union called on the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities to ensure that screening procedures, infection prevention measures and outbreak management protocols were implemented consistently at points of entry and healthcare facilities.

Panyako's remarks came as the union also addressed complaints about service delivery at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu, where nurses defended their profession against what they described as generalised criticism while acknowledging the need to improve patient care.

Kelvin Muhati, secretary of the first established JOOTRH chapter of the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives, said the hospital had undergone significant expansion since its transition to a Level Six referral facility, increasing pressure on its workforce and service delivery systems.

Muhati said the hospital's bed capacity had increased from 500 to 900, while its workforce had also grown, although staffing levels remained inadequate to meet the institution's expanding responsibilities.

He said JOOTRH was the first referral hospital to transition directly from a county facility to a parastatal, a process that had presented operational challenges.

“JOOTRH is a Level Six hospital following its gazettement, and a lot of expansion has happened. We have expanded from 500-bed capacity to 900-bed capacity. We have also expanded our labour force to a significant number, although it is still not enough,” Muhati said.

He noted that the hospital received numerous referrals, alongside patients who walked in seeking treatment, creating additional pressure on staff and available resources.

Muhati said while concerns raised by patients should not be dismissed, individual incidents should be addressed without tarnishing the reputation of all nurses working at the facility.

He described nurses as the backbone of healthcare delivery, saying they often worked extra hours and additional shifts to ensure patients continued receiving services, including during the national doctors' strike.

“The unfortunate part is that every female healthcare worker is called a nurse, and every male healthcare worker is called a doctor. Sometimes the public might not identify who the real nurse is, but I am here to tell you that a nurse is a professional guided by a code of ethics,” he said.

Muhati urged patients and their families who had complaints to use established channels to seek redress rather than generalising misconduct to the entire nursing profession.

He added that the hospital's administration had supported nurses in several areas, including the timely payment of salaries, although there were internal concerns regarding remuneration that the union was seeking to address through the appropriate channels.

He also cited ongoing projects at the hospital as evidence of efforts to improve services, urging the public to acknowledge progress while continuing to raise legitimate concerns.

Maureen Atieno, a nursing officer at JOOTRH and organising secretary of the hospital's KNUN chapter, said the complaints surrounding the institution were not unique to the facility, noting that transitions and increasing demand for services could create challenges.

Atieno said the hospital's management, nurses and the wider healthcare fraternity needed to work together to improve patient experiences and ensure services were delivered in a timely manner.

She acknowledged that patients had raised concerns but said the union was committed to addressing the challenges rather than dismissing the complaints.

“We are not denying whatever has been said, but we are saying we will try our best because we exist because of the public. With our administration, the union, the nursing fraternity and JOOTRH, we will work to make it a better place and ensure patients receive more valuable and timely services,” she said.

She appealed to the public to give the hospital time to address the challenges associated with its transition while maintaining pressure for better services.

In its official statement, the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives acknowledged public concerns over service delivery at JOOTRH, affirming that every patient deserved safe, dignified, compassionate and professional care.

The union said complaints about healthcare services should be investigated and addressed fairly, while cautioning against online harassment, public trolling and collective condemnation of nurses over systemic challenges beyond their individual control.

It identified staff shortages, inadequate resources, congestion and heavy workloads as some of the institutional challenges requiring urgent attention from the relevant authorities.

The union, however, acknowledged that some healthcare workers might have fallen short of expected professional standards, saying substantiated cases should be handled through established institutional, professional and legal mechanisms.

It called on hospital management and relevant authorities to address gaps in service delivery, improve the working environment for healthcare workers and ensure that legitimate public complaints received timely attention.

The union also urged nurses to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, empathy, accountability and respect in their interactions with patients.

It committed to working with the Nursing Council of Kenya, the Ministry of Health, the Kisumu County Government and the JOOTRH Board of Management to investigate concerns, identify underlying operational gaps and develop sustainable solutions.

“Our position is clear. Patients deserve quality care, nurses deserve dignity and a safe working environment, and healthcare institutions must be held accountable for the systems they are responsible for providing healthcare services,” the statement read.

Panyako also urged nurses working in private healthcare facilities, including Nairobi Hospital, to join the union, saying collective representation was important in addressing concerns affecting their welfare and working conditions.

He said the union faced limitations in representing nurses who were not its members, particularly when seeking to address employment and workplace concerns.

He called on nurses to seek union representation to strengthen their ability to raise concerns affecting their welfare and the delivery of healthcare services.

The union reiterated that protecting nurses and safeguarding patients were complementary responsibilities, saying both were necessary to strengthen public confidence in healthcare institutions.

Panyako said Kenya's preparedness for public health emergencies depended not only on the training of healthcare workers but also on effective screening, proper coordination among agencies and strict implementation of established protocols to prevent infectious diseases from spreading across borders.