NAIROBI, Kenya- The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has issued a strong statement opposing reported plans to establish a United States-backed Ebola quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya, demanding full transparency from the government within 48 hours.
In a statement released on Thursday, KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah accused the government of engaging in what the union termed as “backdoor negotiations” with the United States over a proposed facility at Laikipia Air Base.
The doctors’ union warned that Kenya risked compromising its biosecurity and exposing citizens to unnecessary danger while the country’s healthcare system continues facing major staffing and funding challenges.
“As the vanguard of Kenya’s healthcare system, we are utterly disgusted by the government’s apparent willingness to trade national biosecurity and the lives of its citizens for foreign aid,” the statement said.
KMPDU questioned why Kenya was reportedly being considered for the facility while countries closer to the Ebola outbreak epicentre in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda were not hosting similar arrangements.
The union also challenged the logic behind transporting exposed individuals into Kenya if the United States considers long medical evacuation flights to America too risky.
KMPDU further threatened nationwide industrial action if the government proceeds with the reported agreement without public disclosure and reforms to Kenya’s health system.
“We give the government a 48-hour ultimatum to make these negotiations public,” the union stated, warning that healthcare workers would not accept Kenya becoming what it termed a “containment colony” for foreign health emergencies.
The statement comes amid growing international attention after Reuters and other international media outlets reported that Kenya had approved a U.S. request to establish a quarantine facility for Americans exposed to Ebola during the ongoing outbreak in eastern DRC.
The proposed facility would reportedly be located at Laikipia Air Base and staffed by members of the U.S. Public Health Service.
Kenya’s Ministry of Health has confirmed discussions with the United States and other international partners regarding Ebola preparedness and response but has insisted that any cooperation will comply with Kenyan laws and public health regulations.
The World Health Organization has declared the current Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain a public health emergency of international concern as cases continue rising in parts of the DRC and Uganda.
