Kenya’s Ministry of Health has come under sharp scrutiny over advertent attempts to cover up Cholera outbreak at an outlet associated with Deputy President William Ruto.
According to Daily Nation, Director of Medical Services Jack Kioko held back from giving an update on whether it was indeed a Cholera case reported in Weston.
He said that he was yet to get a comprehensive laboratory confirmation that it was a Cholera attack.
Medics in private hospitals where several guests from Weston Hotel were admitted confirmed that they had been infected with the debilitating disease.
The guests were attending ‘The Kenya International Scientific Lung Health Conference’, which had been organized by the Ministry of Health. It was to start on Tuesday and end on Friday.
Some of them exhibited severe diarrhoea and vomiting which are common symptoms of Cholera.
Nairobi hospital where most of the guests including doctors who were attending the science conference were admitted, had confirmed 33 cases of Cholera by Friday.
However, the Ministry of Health officials held that the patients were suffering from gastroenteritis and not Cholera.
Gastroenteritis is a common food-borne disease according to Prof Gunturu Revathi, a clinical microbiologist and specialist in Infectious Diseases at the Aga Khan University Hospital.
Weston Hotel’s management has since issued a statement on the matter citing that they have taken all necessary measures to contain the situation.