The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | With the re-opening of malls as the country continues easing a three months long lockdown on public transport and non-food businesses, the Belgian Development Agency Enabel has donated a consignment of thermometers worth Shs460million.
The donation will help with strengthening surveillance for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in malls and hospitals in areas of Entebbe and Kampala.
Christelle Jocquet, the Resident Representative of the Belgian Development Agency said at a handover event held at the Ministry of Health on Wednesday that the idea of making a contribution towards surveillance was arrived after an earlier meeting with Ministry revealed the need to revamp surveillance and risk communication with the onset of community transmission of the viral respiratory disease.
On her part, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said the donation comes in handy with the onset of complacency which requires them to double efforts on surveillance such that when a case comes up, it is quickly uprooted from the community.
As this comes in, even as temperature taking has been promoted in surveillance at key places such as hospitals in many places it’s not done, and where it’s done they often work with a single or few thermometers that often creates crowding in populated areas as people wait for their vitals to be taken.
For instance on Monday, at Kawempe National Referral hospital, they were using one thermometer which administrators complained was slowing them down in efforts to enforce COVID-19 related guidelines for safety.
However, In Uganda, the Belgian agency does work mainly in education and health whereby they fund maternal and child health. Last year, the agency gave 23million Euros in funding for the different projects that they engage in country.
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