The government has threatened to splash the photographs of Covid-19 patients on the run in media outlets.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Thursday said this will play a key role in helping members of the public identify those who are a danger to them.
Kagwe said those being tracked down have changed tack and have resorted to switching off their phones and freely mingling with others, putting them at risk.
“When you put your phone down, move from Kawangware to Thika and come back while your friends are calling us, what is that supposed to mean,” Kagwe said.
He added, “When we get to a point when we are convinced that you are running away, there is nothing that can stop the ministry from publishing your photos in the newspapers.”
He said the photos will be accompanied by captions indicating that the patient has run away from a quarantine facility thus is a danger to the public.
The CS said six patients who had escaped from a quarantine facility in Turkana had be traced and taken back.
He said going forward, families of the escapees will have to be involved in denying them entry to their homes.
“The onus now falls on us to ensure we do the right thing. Families will have to take responsibility to reject patients because we need to protect each other, families and friends,” Kagwe said.
He added, “There is no missing contact, we can and we do track people down, but why are you waiting for us to track you down. There is no charge and you are being fed, why would you run away”.
On Tuesday, CAS Rashid Aman said the government was contemplating alternative means of tracing patients who tested positive for the virus during voluntary drives but were unreachable.
He said use of national identification cards and alternative phone numbers was one of ways being explored.
Aman said efforts to find them have borne no fruit, despite numerous calls for them to present themselves.
Public Health Director Dr Patrick Amoth last week said the 140 were among those who turned up for the voluntary mass testing.
According to Amoth, they gave the wrong contact information and when their samples turned positive, they couldn’t be found.“As the CS said, they can run but cannot hide from the long arm of the government. They can choose to present themselves before the disease puts them down,” he said.
Amoth’s statement came a day after a patient escaped from Mbagathi Hospital after threatening security personnel with a screw driver and a knife.
So far, Kenya has reported 2,340Covid-19 cases after 124 more people tested positive in the last 24 hours.
However, four more patients have died, raising fatalities to 78.