Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has said investigations have been launched to ascertain if it is true a Kenya Port Authority (KPA) employee died of coronavirus after being denied access to a ventilator due to a ballooning hospital bill.
According to the Daily Nation, Ursula Buluma succumbed to the pandemic at a private facility in Mombasa where she was admitted to but could not access ICU services.
Her family said Buluma had breathing difficulties but remained outside the ICU for three days leading to her death.
Governor Joho stated action will be taken against the hospital if investigations revealed Buluma was denied a ventilator because of a hospital bill.
Buluma died at a Mombasa hospital yesterday morning and was buried at the Mbaraki Cemetery.
“Yes, I can confirm she died of Covid-19,” said Hajji Masemo, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Principal Corporate Communication Officer and a member of KPA Covid-19 committee.
The long time employee at the port was nearing retirement and is said to have had an underlying health condition before she contracted the virus.
She was admitted at Pandya Memorial Hospital after developing chest pains and breathing difficulties on Monday. She tested positive the same day.
According to family sources, Buluma was one of three KPA employees quarantined after developing symptoms similar to those of Covid-19.
