Emergency Plus Medical Services (E-Plus) has acquired and commissioned two portable isolation chambers to increase its capacity to respond and safely evacuate suspected and confirmed cases of coronavirus.
This is meant to accommodate the surging numbers of virus infection as well and shelter frontline responders from virus transmission.
E-Plus’ Managing Director, Susan Ng’ong’a said in a statement on Monday that the plan is to equip all advanced cardiac life support units with the portable isolation chambers.
She said the adoption of the isolation chambers would mitigate and reduce the risk of contamination and infection, hence creating a safe working environment for ambulance crew as well as the patients.
"E-Plus has been at the forefront undertaking evacuations to assist the government in Covid-19 mitigation efforts through provision of safe evacuations for suspected and confirmed cases and as such, these units will boost our capacity to respond effectively and safely including regionally with reduced exposure to our ambulance team. They will be part of our advanced cardiac life support ambulance equipment,"she said.
Ng’ong’a spoke during the commissioning of the chambers.
"As key players in the health sector, especially in the area of Emergency Medical Services provision,we have taken up the challenge to ensure that we play a key role in reducing the spread of the novel disease," she added.
E-Plus Medical Director , Dr Christine Memusi, while demonstrating functionality of the unit, said that the portable isolation chamber works in negative pressures for the transport of contaminated patients, and can also work in positive pressures to assist patients that might be immunocompromised.
According to Memusi, E-Plus paramedics and ambulance operators have taken a thorough training on the application of the newly acquired Portable Isolation Chambers and they will also undertake refresher training before deployment.
The country is currently experiencing a surge in the number of Covid-19 infections reported daily.
The highest daily tally is 960 cases, recorded on Sunday.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has cautioned over the surge in community infections as asymptomatic cases continue to rise.
He revealed that there is an increase in the number of healthcare providers contracting the virus.
The CS revealed last week that the data provided by the Ministry of Health was based on the rapid response team results.