The Ministry of Health has imposed new drastic measures as it seeks to deal with the challenge presented by multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia.
The measures that include increased surveillance, active screening for those at risk, contact precaution, as well as environmental screening, come in the wake of thirteen reported neonatal cases at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe lauded healthcare workers at KNH for identifying and putting in place mechanisms to deal with the situation and said there was a need to enhance infection prevention and control measures amid an increase in rates of antimicrobial drug resistance cases.
The CS said the Kenyatta National Hospital as well as other health facilities need to review their surveillance systems to improve the identification and management of healthcare acquired infections screen all babies at admission to new-born units for early identification and isolation of infected ones and ensure continuous capacity-building for all staff on infection prevention and control.
He said all referral facilities must collaborate with other referring health facilities to minimize the cross-hospital transfer of infections.
The KNH microbiology laboratory on 22nd August 2022 identified an isolate of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia from the blood of an infant admitted to the neonatal critical care unit.
The Klebsiella pneumoniae organism that was isolated from the newborn unit was noted to be resistant to almost all the antibiotics available for the treatment of neonates.
The MOH through the division of Neonatal and child health has enhanced efforts to improve infant mortality rates which stood at 22 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2014 with the aim of realizing SDG’s target for an infant mortality rate of 12 deaths or below per 1,000 live births.
Among the measures include the development of the Maternal and Neonatal Health quality of care standards which have already been finalized with the process of adaptation of the WHO quality of care standards for small and sick new-borns in health facilities currently underway.
