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Nakaseke, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nakaseke district has received a boost of Shillings 98 million from Chinese firms in Kapeeka Town council to finance the activities of the Corona Virus Task Force. The money was handed over to Nakaseke district by General Salim Saleh, the Chairperson of the 16 Chinese firms under Namunkekera Rural Industrial Center to help operationalise the task force.
The firms include among others Good Will (U) LTD, Lian Shen Group, Ho and Mu Food Technology Limited and Namunkekera Agro Processing Industries Limited among others. Several districts have scaled actives towards the prevention of COVID19. Uganda has since registered 44 confirmed cases of the deadly disease.
Nakaseke have over 30 suspected corona virus cases. Ignatius Koomu Kiwanuka, the Nakaseke LC 5 Chairperson, says the cases had overwhelmed the health department yet they didn’t have money to finance the taskforce. He says as a result, they petitioned General Salim Saleh who mobilised the firms, which donated Shillings 98million to help the task force.
Koomu notes that they have resolved that the District retains Shillings 30 million to facilitate health surveillance team and Task force and the remaining money be returned to Kapeeka Sub County where the firms operate to implement the preventive measures.
Moses Ssenfuma, the Kapeeka Sub County LC 3 Chairperson says they have spent the money on the purchase of sanitizers, infrared thermometers, and protective gears and facilitate help workers to respond to emergencies. Ssenfuma says they also intend to buy and distribute maize flour to people in Kapeeka town council who are no longer working because the Presidential directives, which affected certain sectors.
Aharikundira Africano, the Deputy Nakaseke Resident District Commissioner welcomed the support, saying security personnel are on the ground to help health officials enforce the COVID preventive measures. Evelyn Khellen Musiime, the Nakaseke District Health Officer, says the department is still in need of money to buy protective gear and facilitate health workers across the district.
Musiime says currently all the 4774 health workers have run out of protective gear and fear to touch patients.
Nakaseke District has set up isolation facilities at Nakaseke and Kiwoko Hospitals. The suspected patients will be kept at facilities and will be transferred to Mubende Regional Hospital when they test positive.
The Health Ministry is yet to offer additional personal protective equipment (PPE) to the district.
General Salim Saleh, the Chairman Namunkerera Rural Industrial Center was unavailable to comment on the donation. Luweero and Nakaseke Districts are hunting for Shillings 57 million and Shillings 103 million respectively for COVID19 activities.
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