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Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kitgum General Hospital in northern Uganda has run out of protective equipment (PPE) for health workers.
Dr Geoffrey Okello, Kitgum General Hospital acting Medical Superintendent says protective equipment especially masks delivered by government in the fourth quarter have run out.
He made the revelation on Friday while presenting reports of case management sub-committee during a Coronavirus Taskforce committee meeting held in Kitgum Municipality.
Dr Okello says lack of protective gear like masks, hand gloves, face shields among others for the health workers is likely to affect their efforts of fighting the disease spread.
“The PPE, for example, the masks that were given in the last fourth quarter, we were told to use it sparingly because the Ministry is getting problems in procuring more. What we have are very few,” says Dr Okello.
Dr Okello adds that training of health staff that was being conducted by the Health Ministry has also not been conducted.
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Health Ministry Senior spokesperson says the ministry has got a donation of PPE’s and notes that they have been dispatched to the various health facilities in the country.
“The Ministry is delivering PPE currently because we got a donation from many donors. But we also want to understand whether the hospital administration had put in writing the specific PPE they need,” says Ainebyoona.
Dr Alex Olwedo, Kitgum District Health Officer during the meeting revealed that four out of nine samples of people who presented symptoms similar to Coronavirus in the past week have turned out negative.
Dr Olwedo says they are now waiting for results of five other people who are still in self-isolation and under close monitoring by the surveillance team.
William Komakech, Kitgum Resident District Commissioner also the chairperson district COVID-19 task force has suggested for the use of locally available resources to buy the protective gears as they wait for government’s supplies.
Kitgum district COVID-19 taskforce on Wednesday passed a draft budget of 1.4 billion shillings meant to aid the smooth operation of six sub-committees that will be in the front-line to tackle the spread of the Coronavirus disease.
The subcommittees in the taskforce are publicity and mobilization, secretariat and Resource Mobilization, construction, case management, surveillance and Boda Boda riders.
Uganda has registered a total of 45 cases of COVID-19.
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