Seven public health officers and their driver were Wednesday attacked after burying the body of a COVID-19 victim.
The officers had buried the remains of a 60-year-old male resident of Thinu Village in Kathiani Constituency and were on their way of the homestead when they were attacked.
As reported by K24 Digital, the deceased’s relatives and members of the public attacked the healthcare workers with crude weapons, inflicting serious injuries on some of them.
Reportedly, the family was protesting the COVID-19 test results of the deceased, which indicated he died of the virus after spending months at the Machakos Level 5 Hospital while receiving treatment for a chronic disease.
Confirming the incident, Machakos County Health minister Dr. Ancent Kituku said upon receiving information about the attack, he alerted police who rushed to the scene and rescued the health officers and their driver.
“Our health officers had just buried the deceased according to COVID-19 safety guidelines and were on their way out when members of the public and the deceased’s relatives blocked them from leaving the homestead. The officers were, thereafter, beaten up by the crowd, which was accusing them of wrongfully diagnosing the deceased with COVID-19,” Dr. Kituku told K24 Digital.
“The eight, including the seven officers and their driver, were injured and taken to Machakos Level 5 Hospital for treatment,” he added.
The Health official noted: “Following that incident, we feel really demoralised as public health officers.”
Dr. Kituku said they have filed a report at Machakos Town Police Station and investigations were underway.
“We hope that authorities will investigate the matter and establish the genesis of the incitement.”
