To All Healthcare Personnel
REMEMBER THIS.
When an Ebola patient arrives at a healthcare facility, it will not be a politician standing at the bedside.
It will be the doctor taking the history.
It will be the nurse inserting the IV line.
It will be the laboratory scientist handling the specimen.
It will be the clinical officer examining the patient.
It will be the cleaner disinfecting contaminated surfaces.
It will be the ambulance crew transporting the patient.
It will be the mortuary attendant handling the deceased.
The risks of exposure will be borne by healthcare workers and their families.
If a healthcare worker becomes infected, it is the healthcare worker who will suffer the consequences.
If a healthcare worker dies, it is their family, colleagues, and community who will bear the loss.
That is why decisions involving the movement and management of Ebola patients must be guided by rigorous public health risk assessment, adequate preparedness, sufficient resources, and the highest standards of infection prevention and control.
Healthcare workers must never be treated as expendable. They are a critical national resource and the backbone of every health system response.
Before any decision is made that increases the risk of exposure to frontline staff, the country must be assured that healthcare facilities are adequately equipped, healthcare workers are properly trained and protected, and emergency response systems are fully prepared.
Public health must come before politics.
Healthcare worker safety must come before public relations.
Science must come before expediency.
Protect healthcare workers.�Protect patients.�Protect Kenya.
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