Why US health chief wants Ebola quarantine centre based in Kenya [Courtesy/Reuters]
Mehmet Oz, head of the U.S. Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has identified Kenya as the most suitable location for an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens due to its proximity to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking during a White House press briefing on Tuesday, June 2, Oz said Kenya's location would allow patients to receive urgent medical care more quickly if needed.
"The main issue with having a facility close to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is that if a patient becomes sick again, and I speak as a heart doctor, I want to take the patient to the operating room right next door to where they are, not to another building or several blocks away because that time is precious to us," Oz said.
He added that U.S. and Kenyan officials are in talks following a High Court order that temporarily halted the construction of the proposed facility in Nanyuki.
