• The focus has been on testing frontline healthcare workers by the nature of their work, truck drivers, those in settings such as prisons, Kenyans who are asymptomatic and contacts of those patients who test positive for the virus as well as those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Image: CHARLES MGHENYI
You will now be able to take a Covid-19 test at the Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital for Sh3,000.
The hospital opened voluntary testing for the virus to the public beginning Monday this week.
It's a relief to the majority of Kenyans who would like to know their status but are unable to after the government scaled down testing late last year amid a dwindling global supply of kits.
The focus has been on testing frontline healthcare workers, truck drivers, those in settings such as prisons, asymptomatic contacts of patients who test positive for the virus as well as those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Those who do not fall in the specified categories but do wish to test for the virus have been forced to get the tests but at a cost.
“This is to inform you that voluntary Covid-19 testing is now open to the public effective Monday, February 15 with a consultation fee of Sh3,000,” KUTRH acting CEO Victor Njom said in an internal memo addressed to all hospital staff.
“The patient can make an early payment through MPESA Pay bill number 293766. Account (Patient Name) and the amount,” he said.
According to Njom, the details to be captured include the patient’s name, ID number, date of birth, phone number and email address to facilitate a seamless process.
Those who wish to get the test can do the registration while on the hospital premises or outside.
Getting a similar test at Kenyatta National Hospital will cost you around Sh5,000 and Sh5,700 at Amref medical centre.
Similarly, the test cost Sh7,500 at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Sh10,000 at the Nairobi Hospital, Sh7,000 at Gertrude’s Hospital branches in Nairobi and Mombasa, Sh6,000 at the Nairobi West Hospital and Sh8,900 at the M.P Shah Hospital.
“Initially we had mass testing where you just walk around and anyone who comes for testing would be able to swab their nose and throat. All countries had to go back to the drawing board to be able to do a new testing strategy,” Health DG Patrick Amoth said in a previous briefing.
Kenya in February entered into a new deal that could open the way for cheap, quick Covid-19 tests. This might lower the cost that might still not be affordable to Kenyans.
Cheap Covid-19 tests that cost less than Sh1,000 and return results in about 15 minutes may be available widely in the country this year.
This follows a deal led by the World Health Organization and an Indian manufacturer to produce about 10 million cheap test kits every month for poor countries.
The manufacturer, Premier Medical Corporation committed to producing antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic kits for less than Sh250 (US$2.50) per test, excluding transportation and potential levies.
The Indian manufacturer was chosen through the WHO-led Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator Diagnostics Pillar, which is supporting the production of cheap tests, treatments and vaccines for the disease.
The deal is also supported by Unitaid and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, a non-profit organisation that is promoting access to affordable tests.
“The investment will enable current production of three million Covid-19 tests per month to be scaled up to 10 million by the third quarter of 2021,” Find said in a statement.
Antigen rapid diagnostic tests for Covid-19, though rare in Kenya, are cheap and faster. The downside is that they can be less accurate.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris