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Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | An elderly COVID-19 patient has died from Moroto Regional Referral Hospital. The hospital’s director Dr Ben Watmon confirmed the death of an 87-year-old resident of Loputuk sub county in Moroto district on Saturday evening.
He said the man reported to Moroto Hospital on September 10, with Tuberculosis. However, health samples taken from him tested positive to COVID-19. Dr Watmon says that after the result, the patient was immediately admitted to the isolation unit, where he passed on last night.
The deceased becomes the second person to have died of the novel coronavirus from Moroto Regional Referral Hospital since the pandemic was confirmed in the district in August. The first death from COVID-19 was recorded on August 19. He was also a resident of the same area.
Since an index case was reported in March, the country has recorded 49 deaths with cumulative cases totalling to 4,377 cases. The ministry of health says 1998 people have recovered.
Meanwhile, Moroto Regional Referral Hospital has become overwhelmed with the number of cases in the isolation unit. Dr Watmon, the hospital director says some cases have been put to wait for admission because there is no more space to accommodate all new cases. He declined to give the number of coronavirus patients still on the waiting list.
There are currently more than 60 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Moroto district. A health worker who asked not to be named because he is not allowed to speak to to the media and attached to the unit says there are 44 active cases currently at the hospital after 13 were discharged Friday.
He said the management has expanded the unit to cover more wards but space is not yet enough to accommodate new confirmed cases.
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