Moroto district struggling to equip cholera isolation unit

Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Cholera patients admitted to Loputuk Health Center III in Moroto district do not have enough beds. The centre which has up to 22 admitted patients has only six beds and as a result, more than 15 patients are now sleeping on the floor some in very unhygienic conditions.

According to the in-charge Phillip Lotee, the isolation facility which was transformed from a general ward was built to accommodate 10 beds. With 22 patients right now, the number is too big to serve the purpose. Due to the limited space, men, women and children are all isolated in the same unit.

The facility also lacks a separate toilet facility and running water for sanitation. URN has established that cholera patients currently share a latrine with other patients which could scale up the spread of cholera.

The isolation centre has so far managed 56 cumulative cases of cholera since the outbreak was reported last week. But the number has continued to grow with 11 cases admitted on Wednesday. Loote told Uganda Radio Network, URN  in an interview that they are overwhelmed by the number of cases, a situation that is exacerbated by the fact that the sick are being managed under pathetic conditions.

The acting District Health Officer Charles Onyang Omuudu has appealed to partners to support with tents, and other logistics. Earlier, Omuudu appealed to the partners to provide 10 tents to help accommodate additional health workers deployed to work there.

However, Dr Kenneth Kabali, the head of  the WHO Karamoja sub office said a consignment comprising 10 beds for cholera patients and other supplies including tents and aqua tablets were being transported to Moroto to help in the management of the crisis, that has so far claimed three lives.

Meanwhile, the district has requested eight pickups from the Ministry of Health to support surveillance and sensitization of the communities as the disease spread to 14 villages in Naduget and parts of Moroto Municipality.

Last month, URN reported about the breakdown of dozens of boreholes in Moroto district with Nadunget sub county, where cholera broke out reporting 11 nonfunctional boreholes.

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URN