Adjumani district seeks additional 1.7Bn to fight against COVID-19

Adjumani, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Adjumani district COVID-19 taskforce is seeking an additional 1.7 billion shillings in the fight and management of the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the district.

Currently the district has confirmed 45 positive cases of COVID-19 with 40 being refugees from South Sudan and hosting over 200 at the district quarantine center.

Moses Mugweri, the resident district commissioner Adjumani district who also doubles as the taskforce chairperson says the district taskforce had budgeted for 2 billion to comprehensively fight COVID-19, but have managed to raise 700 million shillings from central government and other development partners.

According to Mugweri, the supply by Ministry of Health is inadequate given the number of cases they receive and since they need more PPEs, medication, paying of allowances to front liners as well as putting up an isolation and treatment facility for the long term.

James Leku, Adjumani district LCV chairperson made it clear that the district is yet to pay the allowances of staffs, front liners including drivers, LCs and VHTs.

Adjumani district has a total of 230 LCI chairpersons, 54 LCII chairpersons and 420 VHTs.

According to Leku, due to lack of enough money many of the front liners are demoralized and not willing to work and yet the district is continuing to register community cases. He adds that they have already exhausted the 165 million shillings given by government.

Dr George Bhoka, the Adjumani district health officer says due to lack of financial resources, they are yet to train the LCI, LCII and VHTs on surveillance, risk communications among others.

Bhoka says they are currently relying on support from development partners in the district to help in the sensitization of the masses on COVID-19.

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