Beep, beep, beep beep. The beeping of monitors in an Intensive Care Unit in Machakos county reminds me of the realities of Covid-19 pandemic.
It is barely a month now since the Kenyan government lifted the mandatory requirements of wearing facemasks in open places.
Cases of Covid-19 related complications have drastically reduced with the daily briefings on new infections, deaths and even the virus prevalence by Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe no longer grace our screens. Kenyans have moved on, but some still don the mask.
Patrick* (not his real name), 65, a retired teacher who has been keen on ensuring that he keeps his health in order, says that he did not know how or where he got the virus from, considering that he puts on his mask every day, but he is grateful that he will leave to tell how he survived the dreaded disease.
The World Health Organisation has reported a 15 percent increase in the Covid-19 vaccine uptake in Africa. Despite the increase, vaccine apathy is a huge challenge that African governments have to deal with.
Patrick, however, is happy that he was already inoculated. The vaccine has saved him a great deal, and he urges Kenyans to embrace inoculation.
In a different corner of the ICU ward, we find Kyman* (also not his real name) Kyman seated at the far end of the hospital bed and is doing his breathing exercise.
The doctors have given him a disposable medical glove that will help strengthen his lungs. As he sits in this ICU ward, he thanks God that he is alive and almost out of the woods.
Although he is too preoccupied to speak to us, he shakes his head to allow us to speak to other patients.
According to Dr Peter Ngumbi, there has been a decrease in critical covid-19 cases at Machakos Level 5 Hospital in eastern Kenya; a statement complimented the daily report by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.
The total recoveries now stand at 317,633, of whom 264,687 are under the home-based care and Isolation while 53,015 are in health facilities countrywide.
The CS says that a further 14 patients are currently admitted to various health facilities countrywide, while 104 are under the home-based isolation and care programme. No patient has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or High Dependency Unit (HDU) as of Monday 04 April 2022.