The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Medical workers at Kalisizo General Hospital in Kyotera district are in panic following reports that one of them had succumbed to COVID-19.
Kyotera District Health Officer Dr Edward Muwanga says that the deceased is a female health worker who is suspected to have contracted the virus while executing her duties within the last three weeks. He said that the health worker could have contracted the virus while attending to cases at the outpatient department –OPD wards.
He indicates that the transmission of the virus among frontline teams has caused panic among health workers in the area affecting their morale to manage health challenges. Dr Muwanga has called upon the government to hurriedly support health teams with the required protective gear to guarantee their safety while at work. The hospital does not have a special facility designated for COVID-19 suspects and admission.
Dr Emmanuel Ssekyeru, the Principal Medical Officer at Kalisizo General Hospital indicates that despite the underlying threat, the hospital lacks that emergency healthcare support that can enable them to save lives. He confirms that the staff at the facility are indeed demotivated, and highly afraid of bearing the risks of attending to patients including those on the general wards.
He says that they are now looking up to the Ministry of Health to expedite the process of improving the capacities of hospitals in dealing with the pandemic.
By Friday evening, Kyotera district had a total of 750 COVID-19 positive active cases with five deaths so far registered in a period of three weeks.
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