NAIROBI, Kenya – The government has unveiled dedicated hotlines that Kenyans can use to report suspected Ebola cases, seek guidance and obtain information about the disease from healthcare workers.
Kenyans can call or send text messages to 0700719719, while the toll-free number 719 is also available for those seeking information and assistance.
The announcement comes a day after Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case involving a patient who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Uganda before arriving in the country on October 3.
The patient died on Monday night.
Speaking on NTV’s Fixing the Nation on Wednesday morning, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the dedicated 0700719719 number can receive calls and text messages and allows members of the public to communicate with healthcare workers.
“Outside our social sites, platforms and websites where you get information, we have a dedicated number 0700719719 where you can even chat and get answers from a healthcare worker whether you are in Kenya or outside Kenya,” Duale said.
Government Urges Kenyans To Use Ebola Hotlines
Duale said the government had prioritised access to accurate information to ensure suspected cases are reported, detected and managed promptly.
He said Kenyans living anywhere in the world could use the toll-free number 719 to seek information about Ebola.
“So whether you are a Kenyan in DRC or Kenyan in Nairobi or any part, even now if you call you get a healthcare worker,” the CS said.
Duale also said the government would facilitate the transfer of any Kenyan in the DRC who is confirmed to have contracted Ebola and meet the medical costs of those without health insurance coverage for treatment.
“So we are telling Kenyans, please make use of that hotline,” he said.
Kenya Steps Up Ebola Contact Tracing
On Tuesday, Duale announced that the deceased patient had tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
The government has since begun contact tracing and quarantine measures as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
The patient was buried on Tuesday, while contact tracing has so far identified 27 people who had come into contact with the deceased, including family members.
Authorities are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight as the deceased from Uganda to Kenya.
“I wish to assure the public not to panic as all systems are in place to mitigate the spread of the disease,” Duale said.
The government has urged members of the public to report suspected cases and seek information through the dedicated channels instead of relying on unverified information about the outbreak.
The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak has so far killed 4,148 people, according to the latest data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
