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Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu district COVID-19 taskforce has designated Awach health centre IV a holding center for COVID-19 patients. Previously, the task force admitted COVID-19 patients at Gulu School of Health Science in Gulu city, which was disbanded following the resumption of studies before the second lockdown.
On Friday, the Gulu district COVID-19 taskforce agreed to designate the health facility as a holding center for COVID-19 patients following reports indicating that most of those placed under the home-based care management were flouting guidelines and hence increase in infections. There are more than 397 COVID-19 patients under the home-based care management in Gulu district.
However, reports indicate that most of them are freely mingling with the community. Kenneth Cana, the acting Gulu District Health Officer told URN that they thought it wise to have non critical COVID-19 patients in one place for easy monitoring and containment of further spread of the disease due to the failure to adhere to the home-based care guidelines.
He however explained that they would only provide accommodation for the patients while the families will feed them since they do not have a budget for COVID-19 patients in the second wave. According to Cana, the COVID-19 mortality rate in Gulu stands at 2.14%, as opposed to less than 1% in the first wave that needs urgent intervention.
Stephen Odong Latek, the Gulu Resident District Commissioner (RDC), says that they have erected a tent at Awach health centre IV where they will accommodate non-critical patients. He says that several schools rejected their request to use their facilities as a holding center for the patients, which prompted them to use Awach health center IV.
He explains that the health center will continue with its normal duties. Richard Watmon, the former Paibona sub county LC 3 chairperson has welcomed the move, saying that once people shunned Paibona health centre III after a nursing assistant tested positive for the disease yet he was mingling with patients.
Gulu district has cumulatively registered 419 coronavirus cases with more than 50 deaths.
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