8/4/2022
is not attended to, it can become a disaster on its own and therefore it is important to be prepared,” Mr. Koech added. Psychological First Aid (PFA) also involves helping to provide immediate basic needs, such as food and water, a blanket, or a temporary place to stay. “Health care workers should be made aware of this service, especially in KNH where looking at the setup, there is always a crisis caused by trauma due to terminal illnesses, accidents, or relatives who have lost a loved one, just to name a few. All this is part of psychological first aid,” Ms. Gideon told Newsline. She added that the course aimed to equip the learners with the skills, knowledge, attitudes, and competencies in identifying and responding to various types of disasters and she was happy with the team’s response. “I subjected the participants to an anonymous mental health assessment where screening testing
for anxiety, depression and substance use disorder, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The test also assessed the help-seeking behavior and this enabled me as a trainer to know what to provide sensitization on and the actions that need to be taken. I did a pre-test to test and gauge the participants’ knowledge before the training and used the same questionnaire as a post-test used as an indicator to determine whether learning happened or not. The score results were impressive. The participants were eager to learn; you could see how they embraced the new knowledge by participating in the training. I was impressed by the participation and it kept me motivated,” said Ms. Gideon. Ms. Judy Murithi, a psychologist and Head of Unit – Employee Assistance Program, KNH coordinated the training and also commended the team for their participation and willingness to learn as well. “The facilitator was knowledgeable
and everyone’s needs and expectations were met. We will implement the knowledge in our institution and teach others what we have learnt. Psychological First Aid is for everyone not only for mental health workers, it cuts across. We are looking forward to calling the facilitator again to reach out to other employees,” she told Newsline. “The training was eye-opening for me because it made me appreciate the importance of taking care of myself too as I help others in need,” said Ms. Peris Wangui, a psychologist and one of the trainees. “Mental health is neither physical nor visible; people suffer without being aware of why so I’d like to challenge the institution to do more such training to better equip the staff” concluded Ms. Gideon. Mr. Koech also thanked the KNH leadership and the disaster management committee members for the opportunity to do and come up with such training for staff respectively.
KNH facilitates KCSE exams for admitted candidates
PHOTO | STEVE NDUATI A candidate doing her KCSE inside the ward in KNH.
By Alex Mutyambwii & Stephen Nguru Nduati A section of Kenyatta National Hospital was temporarily turned into an examination centre for three (3) candidates who sat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams on March 14th March, 2022.
ISSUE 7 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
The exams kicked off early in the morning with the candidates taking the English paper. The examination took place across 10,413 centers countrywide where it was being supervised by various assigned Teacher Service Commission officers. The concerned authorities from
Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), invigilators, and security personnel were set to ensure that the three (3) candidates managed to write and complete their examinations from the Hospital. The students had various underlying conditions; one (1) burns victim, and two (2) of them were orthopedic cases. Mr. Andrea Mogi, Senior Nursing Officer at KNH said: “Though admitted, the students were medically capable of sitting for their exams as per the medical assessments. The students have assured us that they are well prepared and fully capable of doing their exams.” The candidates did their exams with a medical team on standby to handle any arising health issues. The Hospital provided a spacious and secluded space that was away from other patients hence perfect environment for examination and revision. He also commended the support of the parents for their children.
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