The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
By Sarah Namulondo
Addressing a press conference yesterday at media centre Dr. Acheng Jane Ruth, the director general health services made the statement after journalists demanded for the names and pictures of patients at Mulago hospital to illustrate how bad the situation was.
In frustration Acheng said that if she did that it would be against professional ethics and it would make rehabilitating these people back in society hard since people will be running a way from them.
This came into play when Acheng was asked to clarify about one officer Dr. Sheila Ndyanabangi, the head of the Mental Health Unit Division, who is said to be under isolated observation as one journalist claimed to have called her and she told him she was in office.
To that Acheng said Ndyanabangi is not infected with Marburg but got in contact with one of the patients and has not shown any symptoms.
She warned journalists to stop writing that Ndyanabangi is a Marburg patient because that has stigmatized her. And for the case of her being in office, Acheng said that Ndyanabangi had gone to complain about reports that were published by red pepper that she is indeed infected with Marburg.
Acheng emphasized that although 436 contacts have been put under close observation, only 12 have been admitted as patients with the Marburg disease. She explained that being admitted and being closely observed are totally two different things.
Being observed is when you have been in contact with victims and being admitted is when results show that you have developed antibodies against the virus (Marburg).
On that note Acheng said that HIV/AIDS kills you slowly while Marburg just runs you through the last minutes of your life.
