Dr Stephen Mogusu, who had reportedly not received his salary for five months, has succumbed to complications related to Covid-19. 

The 28-year-old frontline healthcare worker’s death was announced by Kenya Medical Practitioners Dentists and Pharmacists Union (KMPDU) on Monday. 

KMPDU indicated that Dr Mogusu had not received his pay from the government for almost half a year and he also had no health insurance to get proper treatment.

“Devastating to announce the demise of 28 yr old Dr. Stephen Mogusu who has succumbed to COVID-19 complications. At the time of his death he had not received his salary for 5 months, had no insurance & his young family left with no compensation. Too steep a price for Patriotism,” said KMPDU in the tweet.

KMPDU Acting Secretary General Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda shared how Dr Mogusu suffered before his death and left behind a young family minus any compensation.

“You have paid the ultimate price for your service to humanity. Devastating & heartbreaking is the fact that you have left a young family, your call to all young doctors not to endanger their lives in hazardous work environments shall not be in vain. Fare thee well Dr Stephen Mogusu,” Mwachonda tweeted.

Dr Mwachonda had only hours earlier made an appeal on social media for well-wishers to help the medic access badly needed treatment through M-Changa. 

Dr Stephen Mogusu had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital after contracting Covid-19 in the line of duty. 

This comes barely a day after the union suspended its planned doctors strike for 14 days after Senate and National Assembly Health Committees intervened.

Medics in the frontline in the virus fight accuse the government of ignoring their concerns about their safety, health insurance and staffing shortfalls.

Kenya has now lost 33 medics to Coronavirus as of December 7, 2020 with a total of 10 having succumbed to the deadly virus in a span of two weeks.