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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital has reopened the maternity ward to handle pregnant Ugandans and legal residents returning from abroad.
In March, the ward was closed to the public just like other departments such as dental, surgery, outpatients to enable the facility to effectively manage coronavirus (COVID-19) disease cases. The maternity and neonatal ward with 50 beds were specifically turned into a ward for COVID-19 patients.
However, Dr Moses Muwanga, director Entebbe Hospital says the maternity and neonatal ward have been re-opened to handle pregnant returnees.
He says the decision was made after the hospital management received information that pregnant women and students would be given priority as government clears repatriation of those who got stranded overseas.
Muwanga says as a result, a team of 30 workers including 4 doctors, 13 midwives and several nurses was formed and trained to handle the pregnant returnees.
Most of the workers were recalled from leave especially the gynecologists and midwives and were trained in infection prevention and control.
Since June 22nd, more than 2,000 Ugandans and legal residents who got stranded after the closure of all borders and Entebbe International Airport have returned.
60 of the returnees are pregnant. Of these, 40 were quarantined in various quarantine centres in Entebbe and Kampala while 14 are admitted at Entebbe Hospital.
According to Dr Ben Ayiko, a consultant gynecologist and head of the maternity ward team at Entebbe Hospital, of the 14, three women have since delivered by caesarean section surgery at Entebbe Hospital.
Dr. Ayiko explains further that each pregnant woman undergoes tests for urine, blood and also an ultra-scan at the hospital.
Sr. Roselyn Walimbwa, the hospital’s Principal Nursing Officer, says that the hospital admitted the first pregnant returnees in the theatre to disinfect the maternity ward.
The disinfection exercise took over a week to ensure that the ward is safe for use.
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