MTRH says a woman under Ebola observation has no symptoms and awaits a final test.
Hospital CEO Dr Philip Kirwa says the woman has no symptoms and earlier tests were negative, rejecting claims that MTRH is treating an Ebola patient.
MTRH Ebola monitoring involves one woman who shared a flight with a confirmed patient, hospital CEO Dr Philip Kirwa said. Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret has isolated her while medics complete further tests.
However, Kirwa said the woman had no symptoms and earlier tests had returned negative results. He rejected social media reports suggesting the hospital was treating a patient for Ebola.
The confirmed patient had travelled from Uganda into Kenya through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Kirwa said the shared flight prompted the hospital to quarantine the woman as a public protection measure.
MTRH Ebola monitoring awaits final test
Kirwa described a 21-day isolation period to monitor the woman and establish whether she had the virus. He also said she had already spent three weeks in Kenya without developing symptoms.
Speaking on October 22, Kirwa said medics would conduct a final test the following day. If that result remained negative, the hospital would release her to return home.
Meanwhile, he stressed that quarantine did not mean the woman had Ebola. The hospital was monitoring her during the incubation period rather than treating her for a confirmed infection.
His clarification addressed reports circulating on social media about the hospital’s handling of the case. He maintained that the woman’s isolation served to protect the public while testing continued.
Officials report nine confirmed cases nationally
Kenya has maintained heightened vigilance since an Ebola outbreak emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May. The country subsequently recorded its first imported case on October 6.
That patient was a 40-year-old Kenyan man who had worked in the DRC for seven years. After screening at the airport, he went directly to Kenyatta National Hospital, where tests confirmed Ebola Bundibugyo infection.
The man later died while receiving treatment. Meanwhile, Director General of Medical Services Dr Patrick Amoth said Kenya had confirmed nine cases of the Bundibugyo strain.
At MTRH, however, Kirwa’s account distinguished the woman under observation from patients with confirmed infections. Her discharge depended on the outcome of the final test.
