The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union has asked the Health Ministry to include it in Ebola preparedness and response, alleging that it has been left out of the ongoing work.

KBC reported on 18 October that secretary-general Davji Atellah raised the concern after a union meeting in Naivasha. Union leaders also called for adequate, high-quality protective equipment for staff handling the response.

The exclusion claim is the union’s account. The report cited here did not include a Health Ministry response to that allegation, so it should not be treated as an independently established finding about the entire response structure.

The demand comes after three healthcare workers were among four additional confirmed Ebola cases announced on 17 October. Their infections have sharpened attention on the protection and involvement of frontline personnel.

The issues now raised by the union concern representation in preparedness, access to protective supplies and the measures used to reduce occupational exposure.

Photo details
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale in an archival portrait. Not the union meeting or an Ebola treatment scene.
MC1 Alexander Kubitza / US Department of Defense · Photo source ↗

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

  • A Health Ministry response to the union’s allegation.
  • Specific arrangements for staff protection and union involvement.