MOH asks hospitals to adopt new app for COVID-19 care

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health has directed all hospital directors and District Health Officers (DHOs)  to adopt a new app to guide health workers on how to handle COVID-19 patients and also double-check the latest information on the pandemic. 

In a letter addressed to the directors, Dr Henry Mwebesa the Director-General of Health Services in the Ministry said under the prevailing conditions where COVID-19 numbers have spiralled out of control, the app is projected to close the existing training gaps and challenges that traditional learning presents in the wake of COVID-19.

Mwebesa says health workers will receive the required knowledge and skills, boost case management, infection, control and even management of patients in line with new research as it comes up since for most of the COVID-19 management, they have had to keep changing treatment protocols with new findings from the many studies happening the world over.   

Even for none COVID-19 related services, he says health workers will be virtually trained on various topics under essential guidelines and health systems services such as immunization, maternal and child health and health system leadership. He says already, the health information and training content shared on the platform has been reviewed and endorsed for circulation by the ministry. 

Earlier in October, when this app was first launched Kenneth Nyehoora Mugumya, the Regional Engagement Director at Community Health Academy at Last Mile Health who are the consultants that came up with the app said all content is uploaded after being verified to be in tandem with global and national interventions into treatment.

He said the platform has modules on not just treatment but also infection prevention, emergency care, nutrition and the kind of psycho-social support needed by a patient in the upshot of the stigma associated with Covid-19.

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